Pakistan police clashed with protestors and arrested scores of opposition activists in Islamabad on Saturday as they tried to march to the Supreme Court and the Election Commission office against President Pervez Musharraf's re-election bid.
Several protesters were injured as riot police used batons and teargas shells to disperse about a 1,000 slogan shouting lawyers and political activists who broke barricades and moved to the Supreme Court building.
The protestors, who were angry at the apex courts' ruling allowing Musharraf to contest in uniform and were chanting "Go Musharraf, go," tried to approach the nearby office of the Election Commission, which began scrutiny of nomination papers of the general and other presidential candidates for the October 6 poll.
Several senior lawyers, including Ali Ahmed Kurd, were arrested when they tried to enter the building of the Election Commission, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Munir A Malik said.
The police also prevented activists of opposition Jamaat-e-Islami and Muslim League-N parties from marching towards the office of chief election commissioner.
An opposition Member of Parliament Khwaja Muhammad Asif said that political activists were arrested and taken to police stations in Islamabad. Journalists and cameramen were also beaten up while they were covering the protests.
