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| Pakistan ex-PM ignores 'arrest' | Pakistan ex-PM ignores 'arrest' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Pakistan opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has defied an apparent house arrest order to head for a protest in Lahore. | Pakistan opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has defied an apparent house arrest order to head for a protest in Lahore. |
| Describing the order - denied by the government - as "illegal" he left his Lahore home urging people to join him. | Describing the order - denied by the government - as "illegal" he left his Lahore home urging people to join him. |
| Police fired tear gas at the stone-throwing protesters who plan to march to Islamabad to demand judges sacked by the former government be reinstated. | Police fired tear gas at the stone-throwing protesters who plan to march to Islamabad to demand judges sacked by the former government be reinstated. |
| But Mr Sharif's car was allowed to drive through a police cordon as it approached the rally in central Lahore. | |
| However, it is not clear if he will be allowed to join Monday's planned "long march" by lawyers on the capital for a sit-in outside parliament, says the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad. | |
| 'Fascist tactics' | 'Fascist tactics' |
| The government is trying to break up the procession, setting up roadblocks to seal off Islamabad and banning rallies, saying they could trigger violence. | |
| The house arrest is illegal and immoral, all these decisions are unconstitutional Nawaz Sharif href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7944692.stm">In pictures: Pakistan protests class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7937899.stm">Deja-vu in crackdownQ&A: Pakistan political instability | |
| Our Islamabad correspondent says the campaign over the judges has become a power struggle between Mr Sharif and current President Asif Ali Zardari. | Our Islamabad correspondent says the campaign over the judges has become a power struggle between Mr Sharif and current President Asif Ali Zardari. |
| She says the unrest has alarmed the West, which wants Pakistan to focus on the battle against the Taleban on the Afghan border. | She says the unrest has alarmed the West, which wants Pakistan to focus on the battle against the Taleban on the Afghan border. |
| President Zardari - the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto - promised to bring back the judges when he took office last year following his wife's assassination. | President Zardari - the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto - promised to bring back the judges when he took office last year following his wife's assassination. |
| Early on Sunday, riot police blocked access roads to Mr Sharif's home and reportedly baton-charging his supporters. | Early on Sunday, riot police blocked access roads to Mr Sharif's home and reportedly baton-charging his supporters. |
| Leaving his home later in the morning, Mr Sharif told a crowd: "The house arrest is illegal and immoral. All these decisions are unconstitutional," reported AFP news agency. | Leaving his home later in the morning, Mr Sharif told a crowd: "The house arrest is illegal and immoral. All these decisions are unconstitutional," reported AFP news agency. |
| The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader added: "Come and join me. I am leaving the house. The time has come to march hand in hand." | The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader added: "Come and join me. I am leaving the house. The time has come to march hand in hand." |
| Mr Sharif's brother, Shahbaz, also a senior politician, was said to be in hiding in the garrison city of Rawalpindi near Islamabad at a property also surrounded by police. | Mr Sharif's brother, Shahbaz, also a senior politician, was said to be in hiding in the garrison city of Rawalpindi near Islamabad at a property also surrounded by police. |
| Party spokesman Ahsan Iqbal told the BBC: "A government which claims to be a democratic government is coming with such heavy-handed fascist tactics." | Party spokesman Ahsan Iqbal told the BBC: "A government which claims to be a democratic government is coming with such heavy-handed fascist tactics." |
| But interior ministry chief Rehman Malik told the BBC the police were outside Mr Sharif's home for his own protection because of the threat from terrorists. | But interior ministry chief Rehman Malik told the BBC the police were outside Mr Sharif's home for his own protection because of the threat from terrorists. |
| "I categorically confirm no restraining orders, no arrest warrant, no house arrest. He's totally free to move anywhere in the country," Mr Malik said. | "I categorically confirm no restraining orders, no arrest warrant, no house arrest. He's totally free to move anywhere in the country," Mr Malik said. |
| Long-running tensions | Long-running tensions |
| Mr Sharif was ousted as prime minister in 1999 during a coup by General Pervez Musharraf, who ruled until August 2008. | Mr Sharif was ousted as prime minister in 1999 during a coup by General Pervez Musharraf, who ruled until August 2008. |
| Tensions between Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif date back to the 1990s, but the two formed a brief partnership in government after parliamentary elections in February 2008. | Tensions between Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif date back to the 1990s, but the two formed a brief partnership in government after parliamentary elections in February 2008. |
| Mr Sharif's party later left the alliance, complaining of reluctance by Mr Zardari's Pakistan People's Party to reinstate the judges sacked by the last government. | Mr Sharif's party later left the alliance, complaining of reluctance by Mr Zardari's Pakistan People's Party to reinstate the judges sacked by the last government. |
| Relations have been further strained in recent weeks by a Supreme Court decision to ban Mr Sharif and his brother Shahbaz from elected office, and President Zardari's decision to put their stronghold in Punjab province under direct rule from Islamabad. | Relations have been further strained in recent weeks by a Supreme Court decision to ban Mr Sharif and his brother Shahbaz from elected office, and President Zardari's decision to put their stronghold in Punjab province under direct rule from Islamabad. |
| Shahbaz Sharif was Punjab's chief minister. | Shahbaz Sharif was Punjab's chief minister. |
| But on Saturday, in a move seen as a conciliatory gesture, the government agreed to seek a review of the Supreme Court ruling. | But on Saturday, in a move seen as a conciliatory gesture, the government agreed to seek a review of the Supreme Court ruling. |
| The political instability comes as Pakistan faces an economic crisis and a growing militant insurgency based in the north-west. | The political instability comes as Pakistan faces an economic crisis and a growing militant insurgency based in the north-west. |
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