Police detain 500 Pakistani activists under emergency powers; vote could be delayed

Police and soldiers emboldened by emergency powers swept up hundreds of activists and opposition members, dragged away protesters shouting "Shame on you!" and turned government buildings into barbed-wire compounds.

Gen. Pervez Musharraf's government said Sunday that parliamentary elections could be delayed up to a year under an emergency he declared in efforts to stamp out a growing Islamic militant threat _ linking two of the greatest concerns of Pakistan's biggest international donors: the United States and Britain.

Alarmed about the unfolding crisis, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Washington was reviewing its aid to Pakistan, which has received about US$11 billion from the U.S. since it became a close ally in fighting terrorism in 2001. Britain also said it was examining its assistance.

"Some of the aid that goes to Pakistan is directly related to the counterterrorism mission," Rice told reporters traveling with her. "We just have to review the situation."

But Rice said she did not expect the U.S. "to ignore or set aside our concerns about terrorism."

Scores of paramilitary troops blocked access to the Supreme Court and parliament. Baton-wielding police broke up a demonstration by 40 people at the Marriott Hotel.

"Shame on you! Go Musharraf go!" the protesters shouted as officers forced some of them to the ground. Eight were taken away in a van.

Others were apathetic. Standing at on a dusty street corner in Islamabad, Togul Khan, 38, said he didn't care about the emergency declaration.

"For us, life stays the same, even when politicians throw Pakistan into the sky, spin it around and watch as it crashes back down to earth," the day laborer said.

In an address to the nation late Saturday, Musharraf said the growth of a militant Islamic movement and a court system that hindered his powers forced him to declare a state of emergency, despite the urging of Western allies against authoritarian measures.

Less than 24 hours later, militants in the Afghan border freed 211 captured Pakistani soldiers in exchange for the army's decision to free 28 insurgents, including some allegedly connected to suicide attacks, officials said.

Though they gave no explanation for the decision, it appeared to fly in the face of Musharraf's claims that emergency rule was needed to make sure terrorists stay off the streets.

Critics say Musharraf, a 1999 coup leader who had promised to give up his army post and become a civilian president this year, imposed emergency rule in a last-ditch attempt to cling to power. The Supreme Court, which had emerged as the main check on his power, had been expected to rule soon on the validity of his recent presidential election victory.

Musharraf replaced the chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry. Hearings on the election scheduled for next week were postponed indefinitely

His leadership also had been threatened by the reemergence of political rival and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto.

Attorney General Malik Mohammed Qayyum denied claims by Bhutto and others that Musharraf had imposed martial law _ direct rule by the army. He noted the prime minister was still in place.

Parliamentary elections had been scheduled for January, but Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the polls could be delayed up to a year and that emergency measures would be in place as long as necessary.

Television news networks other than state-controlled Pakistan TV remained off the air.

Aziz said up to 500 people were detained nationwide in 24 hours.

Among them were Javed Hashmi, the acting president of the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif; cricket star-turned politician, Imran Khan; Asma Jehangir, chairman of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan; and Hamid Gul, former chief of the main intelligence agency and a critic of Musharraf.

Around 200 police with assault rifles and sticks stormed the rights commission's office in the eastern city of Lahore, arresting about 50 members, commission official Mehbood Ahmed Khan said.

"They dragged us out, including the women," he said from the police station.

Bhutto, who narrowly escaped assassination in an Oct. 18 suicide bombing that killed 145 others and was widely blamed on Muslim insurgents, scoffed at claims that Musharraf imposed the emergency measures to fight militants.

She said many people believe the emergency was aimed at "stopping a court verdict that was coming against him," she told the weekend edition of ABC News' "Good Morning America."

Musharraf issued two ordinances toughening media laws, including prison terms of up to three years for TV operators who "ridicule" the president, armed forces, and other powerful state bodies.

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Associated Press writers Khalid Tanveer in Multan; Zarar Khan, Sadaqat Jan, Munir Ahmad and Alisa Tang in Islamabad; and Ashraf Khan in Karachi contributed to this report.