UN chief rejects Islamabad's protest

United Nations: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has rejected Pakistan's protest over his statement expressing serious concern at the imposition of emergency rule and again urged the government to release all detainees and restore democratic rule.

Pakistan's Ambassador Munir Akram met Ban on Monday "and conveyed his protest on the issuance of a statement by him regarding the internal developments in Pakistan", according to a statement from the mission.

Asked whether he believed General Pervez Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule was an internal matter or a matter for possible UN action, Ban told reporters: "I stand by my statement which I issued yesterday."

Elections

The secretary-general said he met Akram at his request "and I again expressed my deep concern and regret at what had happened in Pakistan. I also urged strongly that Pakistani government should return to democratic rules and procedures as soon as possible, and also urged the Pakistani leadership to release immediately all the detained political leaders, and lawyers and the [UN's expert] on freedom of religion and faith."

In his statement on Monday, the secretary-general urged Pakistani authorities to immediately release those detained, including the UN expert on religious freedom, Asma Jahangir. He called for the lifting of restrictions on the media and early steps for a return to democratic rule, UN spokewoman Michele Montas said. Ban also appealed to the Pakistani government "to hold the Parliamentary elections as scheduled", in January, Montas said.

Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup, declared emergency rule on Saturday, scrapping the country's constitution, ousting independent-minded judges, putting a stranglehold on the media and granted sweeping powers to authorities to crush dissent. Since then, thousands of people have been rounded up and thrown in jail, and there have been street protests led by lawyers.