Pakistan releasing thousands jailed under emergency rule

More than 3,400 people jailed in Pakistan under the broadened powers of emergency rule have been released in recent days, and there are plans to free hundreds more Tuesday, a government official says.

Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said 3,416 prisoners have been released, while 2,000 remain behind bars.

"The process has started. More are being released today," Cheema said Tuesday, adding that those still in detention "would be freed soon." But he said the cases of some facing criminal chargescould take longer.

But even as some were led out of jails, newly arrested people were being taken in.

Many of those detained since President Gen. Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency on Nov. 3 were lawyers, human rights activists and political opponents whowere arrested for defying a ban on public demonstrations.

Among those still detained are a number of high-ranking opposition party members and leaders, including former cricket star Imran Khan, who began a hunger strike Monday to protest emergency rule.

Under increasing international and domestic pressure, Musharraf has been rolling back some of his most unpopular measures.

Speculation Musharraf could meet withSharif

Musharrafleft for a visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks with King Abdullah, a close ally he often visits.

There were reports that Musharraf will seek to reach out to one of his staunchest opponents, Nawaz Sharif, while visiting the country.

Sharif's elected government was deposed by a bloodless military coup in 1999 and then exiled.

Officials in the Saudi kingdom told the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity that they were trying to arrange a visit between Musharraf and Sharif.

Sharif tried to return to Pakistanin early September after seven years of exile, but was swiftly deported despite a Supreme Court ruling declaring he could not be kept out of the country.

There were no plans to meet,Sharifwas quoted as sayingin Pakistan's Dawn newspaper on Tuesday.

Releases of detainees hours after court ruling

The prisoner release started hours after Musharraf's hand-picked Supreme Court judges dismissed legal challenges to his disputed re-election as president while still holding his post as army chief.

The U.S. has repeatedly demanded that Musharraf end emergency rule,step downas army chief, end media restrictions and release opposition members.

Opponents have accused the military ruler of cracking down on dissidents rather than Islamic extremists, the reason he said he enacted an emergency state.

He has also been accused of imposing emergency rule and purging the Supreme Court ahead of a decision that was likely to find his presidency illegal.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani governmentsaid that the army killed 15 militants on Tuesday in thenorthern district of Shangla.

In the neighbouring district of Swat, a former tourist destination about 160 kilometres from the capital of Islamabad, the army says it has killed at least 130 fighters in recent days.