Arrests in Pakistan 'trouble' US

Opponents of Gen Musharraf tried to reach the Supreme Court

The US finds the weekend detention of opposition politicians in Pakistan "troubling", Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said.

"Some of this is troubling and we've certainly told the Pakistanis," she told Reuters news agency.

The US has called on President Pervez Musharraf to ensure that forthcoming elections are free and fair.

Police clashed with opposition activists outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad on Monday.

The court is hearing a number of challenges by critics of Gen Musharraf who say is not eligible to stand.

He has pledged to stand down as army chief, but not before parliament and the provincial assemblies vote him back in as president. His five-year term expires this year.

General elections must also be announced by mid-November and held by mid-January.

'Preventative'

There was heavy security on Monday to prevent protesters from getting close to the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule this week.

These detainees should be released as soon as possible US embassy

Roadblocks were in place on the main Grand Trunk Road in Attock, and commuters travelling between Punjab and North West Frontier Province were being checked.

About two dozen people were detained as they tried to mount a protest outside the court in Islamabad, witnesses said.

Several senior opposition leaders were arrested over the weekend. Dozens of other activists have been detained in recent weeks.

In a rare statement on Pakistan's political situation, issued before Ms Rice's interview in New York, the US embassy said the arrests of opposition leaders and activists were "extremely disturbing and confusing for the friends of Pakistan".

The European Union also voiced concern, urging the government to follow legal processes.

Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, has described the detentions as "just preventative action".

"When opposition parties say they will surround the Supreme Court and Election Commission and burn nomination papers, the government must take action to maintain law and order," he was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

Candidate

The Election Commission says the presidential vote will take place on 6 October.

Gen Musharraf says he will give up his military role after the election

The biggest objection among opposition parties is that they say he is ineligible to run as long as he retains his powerful position as army chief.

If the Supreme Court rules against Gen Musharraf, he is expected to either stand down or take emergency measures to hold onto power, reports the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad

If it rules in his favour, he will submit his nomination papers, beginning the countdown to the October election.

A coalition that includes Pakistan's main Islamic parties and the PML-N of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says that its deputies will resign from parliament on 29 September, rather than take part in the elections for the president.

Mr Sharif will return to Pakistan after the Muslim festival of Eid, his spokesman says. Eid will end on 13 or 14 October.

Mr Sharif tried to return earlier this month, but was deported back to Saudi Arabia hours after landing at Islamabad.

Another former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, says she will return on 18 October.

On Monday, lawyers announced that former Supreme Court judge Wajihuddin Ahmad would stand against President Musharraf in the election. Analysts say Mr Ahmad has little chance of beating the general.