On Wednesday supporters of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto gathered outside the Pakistani parliament, in Islamabad, in what was the worst violence confrontation since the state of emergency was declared by the President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday.

The supporters clashed with police officers as they tried to pass by the authorities’ barricade in front of the parliament. The officers tried to disperse the protesters by using tear gas.

The lawmakers approved yesterday president’s decree of emergency.

It appears that through this protest Bhutto is trying to urge President Musharraf to drop the state of emergency and to hold talks with her in order for the two of them to negotiate the sharing of power.

According to L.A. Times Bhutto said at the conference held at her headquarters: “How many people can they put behind bars? We will produce so many that they will not have enough jails.”

Apparently 800 party members were arrested overnight in Punjab province.

President Bush told President Musharraf on Wednesday that he needs to hold the elections that were planned for January.

After a meeting that he had with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Bush said regarding Musharraf that his message was “very plain, very easy to understand, and that is the United States wants you to have the elections as scheduled and take your uniform off.”

On Monday and Tuesday rallies were held by lawyers and hundreds of them were arrested. Now they are applying a new strategy: they boycott all court proceedings.

Courts were almost empty in all Pakistan on Wednesday.

Bhutoo called for a big march protest on Friday in Rawalpindi, which is near the capital and the headquarters of the army and president Musharraf.

She said: “I request my brothers and sisters to reach Rawalpindi at all costs,” L.A. Times reported.

She also plans a long march next week from Lahore all the way to Islamabad.

Bhuto gave an ultimatum of 48 hours to president Musharraf to drop the state of emergency and restore the constitution, release the prisoners, to go on with the parliamentary elections as planned and to lift the ban he placed on the media.

“We were engaged in a political dialogue for peaceful transition to democracy. Now we find ourselves back in a dictatorship,” said Bhutto.

The Pakistani government didn’t give any fix date on when the state of emergency will end. Some of the officials said that it can end in a few weeks, and others said that it could go longer.