Hundreds of Islamists held in Pakistan

Islamabad: Pakistani police have detained at least 700 supporters of a main Islamist opposition party amid a crackdown following the imposition of emergency rule by military ruler President Pervez Musharraf, a party official said on Monday.

"Around 600 to 700 of our supporters have been rounded up in Punjab and Sindh province overnight," Liaquat Baluch, deputy leader of Jamaat-e-Islami told Reuters, referring to Pakistan's central and southern provinces.