Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of all political leaders and activists, who were recently detained by authorities to foil their attempt to rally against President General Pervez Musharraf's bid to contest for another five-year term.

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General Musharraf's term as Pakistani president will expire on November 15 and he is set to contest the election for next five-year president due on October 6, which sparked protests from some opposition groups.

 

Nomination papers of Musharraf was submitted to the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday.

 

Hundreds of opposition members including leaders have been detained in Islamabad and east province Punjab over the past few days, the opposition said.

 

Government officials said that some opposition members had been detained or put under house arrest to avert creation of any law and order problem.

 

The opposition parties and lawyers said they would hold a rally outside the office of the Chief Election Commissioner on September 29 when the Chief Election Commissioner will hold scrutiny of nomination papers of Musharraf.

 

A four-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Thursday directed the officials to submit reports on Friday about detained political activists.

 

The court also took notice of sealing Islamabad on Thursday and putting hurdles to stop traffic flow on the roads.

 

"We should celebrate holding of the presidential elections, the administration should not clamp curfew," the court said.

 

A deputy chief of the capital city Thursday confirmed that two members of parliament Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and Mian Muhammad Aslam, both senior leaders from the opposition, have been detained, adding the detention orders will be withdrawn accordingly.

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(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2007)