Opposition leader Hashmi arrested, latest on Sharif

(15 Mar 2009)
Islamabad
1. Wide high shot of containers blocking approach to Pakistan's Parliament and President's House
2. Opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) senior leader Javed Hashmi addresses Islamabad Bar Association
3. Lawyers chanting (in Urdu) "We will grab our freedom"
4. SOUNDBITE: (Urdu) Javed Hashmi, Pakistan Muslim League-N senior leader:
"Our struggle to restore the judges will continue. Tomorrow the Long March will be staged at full power."
5. Hashmi waves to supporters from top of car
6. Various of police arresting Hashmi and bundling him away
Rawalpindi
7. White car carrying PML-N president and Nawaz Sharif's brother, Shahbaz Sharif, arriving in Rawalpindi from Lahore
8. Police
9. House of local politician where Sharif is staying under house arrest
10. Police outside gates
11. PML-N supporters in street shouting (in Urdu) "Long Live Nawaz Sharif"
STORYLINE:
Police in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore fought running battles with stone-throwing anti-government protesters on Sunday after authorities tried to detain opposition leader Nawaz Sharif.
Sharif is locked in a power struggle with Pakistan's president that threatens to paralyze politics in the nuclear-armed country and dilute its focus on tackling economic woes as well as Taliban militants operating along the Afghan border.
Hundreds of police surrounded the former prime minister's residence in the eastern city of Lahore before dawn on Sunday and detained him along with scores of his supporters, a party spokesman said.
Officers showed party officials an order placing Sharif and his politician brother Shahbaz under house arrest for three days, spokesman Pervaiz Rasheed said.
Shahbaz Sharif and a host of other protest leaders went underground to dodge detention orders.
Shahbaz Sharif evaded the police for a while, leaving Lahore for Rawalpindi by road.
But police soon caught up with him and he was placed under house arrest in a fellow party member's home.
Firebrand speaker and senior leader of Sharif's PML-N party Javed Hashmi was arrested in Islamabad after addressing lawyers there.

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