Pakistani police clash with protesters in capital

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani police clashed with lawyers who staged protest in capital on Saturday, the News Network International news agency reported.

Police arrested several lawyers as hundreds of lawyers marched to the residence of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhamamd Chaudhry, who has been under house arrest since Nov. 3 last year.

Holding portraits of Chaudhry, a crowd of about 500 protesters chanted slogans outside a five-star hotel and government buildings in Islamabad.

The police clashed with lawyers when they tried to remove the barricades en route to the judges colony where Chaudhry was placed under house arrest.

The lawyers hurled stones at the police who sprayed water cannon and fired tear gas shells to disperse them. As a result, several lawyers and members of civil society were injured and were also taken into custody.

The protesters also demanded release of President of Supreme Court Bar Association Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and other lawyer leaders who were also under house arrest.

The lawyers earlier held a convention and adopted resolutions, demanding restoration of all judges who were sacked after the imposition of emergency on Nov. 3 last year.