Pakistan freed thousands of lawyers and opposition activists held under emergency powers on Tuesday, as President Pervez Musharraf arrived in Saudi Arabia, where old foe Nawaz Sharif lives in exile.

Army chief General Musharraf has been under pressure from the opposition and Western governments to revoke the emergency rule imposed on November 3 and ensure elections in January are held under free and fair conditions.

In a sign that the emergency was being relaxed, Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema announced around 3,400 detainees had been released by Tuesday and some 2,000 more would be released soon.

Increasingly isolated at home, Musharraf flew to Saudi Arabia leaving a trail of speculation that he would reach out to Sharif, the prime minister he deposed in a 1999 coup, who is now living in exile in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
Musharraf was accompanied by Lieutenant-General Nadeem Taj, head of the Inter-Services Intelligence.

Musharraf was expected to stay in Riyadh for a few hours before going to Jeddah on his way for a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Musharraf could turn to Sharif, as prospects for a post-election power-sharing deal with Benazir Bhutto, another former prime minister, have receded.

Sharif told Reuters from Jeddah on Monday he would not meet Musharraf unless the emergency was rolled back, and he had rebuffed approaches for a meeting in the last two and a half months.

Poll schedule

The Election Commission announced on Tuesday that parliamentary polls would be held on January 8, the date chosen by Musharraf, but the military leader has been warned the election will lack credibility if the emergency remains in place. Opposition parties are considering whether to boycott the election as none of them expect it to be free or fair.

Najam Sethi, editor of the Daily Times, believes Musharraf went to Riyadh to ask the Saudi authorities to guarantee Sharif’s exile until at least after the election. “The last thing he wants is Nawaz Sharif coming back in this highly charged environment,” said Sethi, who believes Musharraf’s best bet for support lay with Bhutto.

Journalists held

Meanwhile, riot police used batons to break up a protest by journalists against media curbs in Karachi, arresting around 100.

“We are fighting for freedom of speech and democracy. Being arrested does not scare us and cannot stop us,” said Akbar Jaffrey, a reporter for Sindh TV, as he was taken away.

The army has launched an operation in Swat Valley to crush terrorists.