Pakistani police detain 500 political activists

KARACHI, Aug 14 (AFP) - Thousands of political activists rallied against the government here Saturday on Pakistan's independence day after police detained more than 500 of their colleagues, witnesses and party sources said.

The rally was organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to protest against alleged persecution of Mohajir community in southern Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital.

Millions of Urdu-speaking people who migrated from India after the partition of the sub-continent in 1947 and their descendants are known as Mohajirs. They had mostly settled in the south.

Carrying placards and party flags, the demonstrators marched through the streets shouting anti-government slogans.

MQM has been at loggerheads with the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who broke an alliance with it in October accusing it of involvement in violence and imposed direct federal rule in Sindh.

No incidents were reported. Armed police maintained tight security, patrolling the streets in the port city.

Party sources said hundreds of MQM workers and supporters had been rounded up in the past two days in the province.

"Our protest is peaceful. We are not against the country but our campaign is against the racist government," MQM's key leader, Farooq Sattar, said.

He said the party was "fighting for the political, economic and social rights" of the ethnic community.

MQM leaders said police also prevented the party from protesting in the cities of Hyderabad, Sukkur, Nawabshah and Mirpurkhas in Sindh.

But police officials denied the charge.

City police chief Farooq Amin Qureshi said: "They (the MQM) have the freedom to bring out a peaceful rally and those who were detained were released".

MQM is the second largest in Sindh after former premier Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples' Party and enjoys massive support in the urban areas.

Since its formation in 1984, MQM's relations with successive governments have remained bitter.