Photo Gallery The Lockdown in Pakistan
The opposition under former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto called for a massive rally to take place in Rawalpindi on Friday. But police are doing what they can to prevent it. Elsewhere, though, like here in Peshawar, some protesters have ventured onto the streets.
Activists from Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) set fire to tires in Peshawar. President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who declared a state of emergency on Saturday, has banned all political demonstration.
Police have virtually sealed off the city of Rawalpindi, which was to play host to a massive opposition demonstration on Friday. These riot police are ready to go into action.
In addition to preventing access to Rawalpindi, Pakistani police have also placed opposition leader Benazir Bhutto under virtual house arrest, preventing her from going to the site of the demonstration.
Police have set up a number of makeshift roadblocks in Rawalpindi using trucks like this one ...
... and like these. Police reportedly broke up a group of 200 protesters in Rawalpindi using batons and tear gas on Friday morning.
Back at Bhutto's Islamabad residence, the police prevented her from leaving despite appeals from her to be allowed to leave. Here, police arrest Abdul Qadeer Khan Kamosh (right), who is chairman of the opposition alliance, outside Bhutto's residence.
Bhutto tried to break through the blockade in front of her house, but was prevented from getting too far.
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan from exile in mid-October. A rally celebrating her return was attacked by a suicide bomber and more than 140 people were killed.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Thursday said he would hold elections by Feb. 15 and also promised to resign from his position as head of the Pakistani armed forces.
