( RIA Novosti ) - Pakistani opposition media said on Tuesday that some 150 journalists had been arrested in Karachi during protests against a government clampdown on the media following the introduction of emergency rule.
Police used batons to disperse the crowd as journalists gathered in front of a press club, in the country's largest city, in a bid to stage a rally against the closure of a number of independent television channels barred from broadcasting since November 3.
Protest rallies were also held in other cities, including the capital, Islamabad.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule in the country on November 3, citing a dangerous rise in terrorist activity.
The president banned the Supreme Court from overturning the emergency order, blocked non-state TV broadcasts, and restricted people's movement in the country, measures which have been widely condemned by the international community.
Many Pakistanis and foreign diplomats believe General Musharraf's decision was aimed at preventing the Supreme Court from invalidating his October reelection while he was still army chief.
A caretaker government was sworn in last Friday to ensure the smooth conduct of early parliamentary elections in January 2008.