Pakistan opposition politician Imran Khan has been arrested in Lahore at a student rally, police have said.

The former cricketer had spent the last two weeks in hiding after General Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency on November 3rd.

Reports claim the Tehreek-e-Insaf party leader was detained at Lahore's Punjab University after rival Jamaat-e-Islami party students tipped police off.

A police spokesperson later confirmed that the opposition leader had been placed under house arrest for 90 days.

"I came to the university to lead a rally of students against the dictator Musharraf and his illegal actions," Mr Khan said.

"I would have presented myself for arrest in full public view, but my goal was to set in motion a student movement."

Gen Musharraf, who remains the head of Pakistan's army and its president, has faced intense domestic and growing international pressure since his declaration of emergency rule, which he said was to stem growing instability in the face of Islamic extremism and judicial interference.

Two-time former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who herself remains under house arrest, has called on Gen Musharraf to resign, while the US has confirmed it is sending deputy secretary of state John Negroponte to urge the general to end his emergency powers.

Yesterday Ms Bhutto, the Pakistan People's party leader, said that Gen Musharraf's pledge to hold parliamentary elections in mid-January would be meaningless if democracy was not restored.

She has also reportedly sounded out the possibility of an unlikely alliance with Muslim League leader Nawaz Sharif, who was prime minister at the time of Gen Musharraf's bloodless coup in 1999.

In a television interview with Sky News today, Gen Musharraf insisted he was not a dictator.

"The day where there is no turmoil in Pakistan, I will step down," he said.
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