Pak frees 3,400 people held after emergency rule

Islamabad, Nov 20: Pakistan has released around 3,400 lawyers and opposition activists arrested in a countrywide crackdown after President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule on Nov. 3, the Interior Ministry said today.

Javed Iqbal Cheema, the ministry's spokesman, said around 2,000 more would be released soon.

''There are some people who have criminal charges against them and the courts will decide their cases,'' he told a news conference.

Reuters
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