Planned elections in Pakistan could be delayed by up to a year after President Pervez Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule, the country's PM says. Shaukat Aziz told a news conference that the government remained committed to the democratic process. But he said parliament might change the date of elections planned for January, and gave no end date for the emergency.
Rights have been suspended, media has been restricted and hundreds of people arrested under the emergency decree. Mr Aziz said 400 to 500 "preventative arrests" had been made so far, and said the emergency, imposed by Gen Musharraf on Saturday, would last for "as long as is necessary". Small protests have started in the capital, Islamabad, where police and security forces are on the streets surrounding key sites.
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