Top Pakistan Islamist under house arrest

Pakistani authorities placed a top Islamist MP under house arrest on Monday ahead of planned protests against President Pervez Musharraf's removal of the country's top judge, officials said.
Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the chief of Pakistan's main coalition of fundamentalist parties, said he had been detained for two days at his residence in Islamabad.
"The government decision to detain me is undemocratic, unconstitutional and illegal. It appears they are in a complete panic," Ahmed said.
"It's difficult to say at the moment whether I will try to violate the detention order or not, but the protest will be held as per our decision."
"The government has confined our leader but our workers will take part in Tuesday's protest with full vigour. If the government stops us, the law and order situation will be its responsibility," said coalition spokesman Shahid Shamsi. Our protest is against the president's action against the chief justice and the military dictatorship in the country," he said. Interior minister Aftab Sherpao said he had "no knowledge" about Ahmed's arrest. But a senior security official confirmed on condition of anonymity that the leading Islamist was under detention.
Military ruler Musharraf suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on March 9 over allegations of misconduct and abuse of power, sparking a political crisis and a series of nationwide protests against his rule.
The Islamic coalition, known as the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal or United Action Front, called Tuesday's rally to coincide with the next sitting of a panel of top judges who are hearing the charges against Chaudhry. Chaudhry denies the allegations.
Ahmed -- regarded as a rabble-rouser by the government -- was also arrested on March 16 in Islamabad when he tried to break through a security cordon at protests in the capital, which later turned violent.
Lawyers and opposition parties loyal to exiled former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif have also called for separate but simultaneous demonstrations against Musharraf on Tuesday.
Courtesy: DNA-I