The activists were taken into preventive custody ahead of a planned nationwide protest to demand the reinstatement of Pakistan's suspended Chief Justice.
ISLAMABAD: About 200 opposition activists were taken into preventive custody on Sunday ahead of a planned nationwide protest to demand the reinstatement of Pakistan's suspended Chief Justice Iftikar M Chaudhry, as the new Acting Chief Justice prepares to take charge on Monday.
The Alliance For Restoration of Democracy (ARD), in which the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) headed by Benazir Bhutto and the Nawaz Sharif led Pakistan Muslim League-N are dominant partners, is organising the protests tomorrow.
"Over 70 leaders and activists of PPP were take into preventive detention in Multan, Lahore and Rawalipindi," party spokesman Faratullah Babar said.
PML-N leaders said over 100 of their partymen were arrested in different parts of the country as the party geared up to hold demonstrations in different cities on Monday.
The protests tomorrow would coincide with the first day in office of Justice Rana Bhagwan Das who has been appointed as the new Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) of Pakistan.
Justice Das arrived here today to formally take charge.
He said he would abide by the law and constitution in resolving the case of Justice Chaudhry. PTV quoted him as saying that he would not reconstitute the Supreme Judicial Council, which would be headed by him and would hear the charges against Chaudhry.
Meanwhile the Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlis Amal (MMA), which has also pledged support for ARD's protest plans, said it will not accept Justice Das as the ACJ, claiming Islam did not allow any non-Muslim to become the chief justice.
Pakistan's suspended Chief Justice Iftikar M Chaudhry said he was optimistic of getting "justice" from Justice Das.
"He is among those judges of the superior judiciary who cannot be influenced by external pressures," The News quoted Justice Chaudhry as saying.
Chaudhry also claimed to have some trump cards, which he would reveal before the SJC hearing on April 3.
Justice Das on Sunday set up a new bench of the apex court to hear petitions on missing persons, an issue which was actively pursued by his suspended predecessor.
The new bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Javed Iqbal will take up for hearing the case of missing persons filed by noted human rights activist Asma Jahangir tomorrow. Other members of the bench are Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan.
Reports had suggested that one of the reasons for the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikar Muhammad Chaudhry was his active interest in the missing persons but President Pervez Musharraf has denied it had resulted in the government's action against him.
The bench will take up petitions of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the relatives of the missing persons. In all, 11 human right cases, all pertaining to disappeared persons, will be taken up by the bench, Dawn reported.
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