Hundreds of people protested Saturday in Islamabad against President Pervez Musharraf’s re-election plan, dozens being injured in violent clashes with police forces.

More than 300 lawyers took to the streets of Pakistan’s capital and tried to reach the offices of the Election Commission, where Musharraf was allowed to seek another five-year term in the upcoming elections.

But the demonstrators’ path was blocked by riot police units that used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd carrying black flags and chanting anti-Musharraf slogans. The protesters attacked security forces with stones and clashes took place for several hours on the streets of Islamabad.

Reportedly, nearly 40 protesters were injured and several have been transported in serious condition at the hospital. Despite these incidents, the lawyers vowed to return Monday with new petitions against the general’s re-election bid.

Hospital sources said 57 persons, including two presidential candidates sustained injuries during Saturday’s protests. Reports said several journalists were beaten up and four are severely injured.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Minister for Information Mohammed Ali Durrani witnessed the clashes from the commission’s building, where they had to remain for more than four hours.

The information minister managed to escape the crowd’s wrath by hiding in an ambulance, but his deputy Tariq Azim wasn’t so lucky and was beaten up by protesters.

Televisions weren’t allowed to transmit live images of the scuffles which led to the arrest of approximately 35 people, including four members of parliament and five female protesters.

The protests followed the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Musharraf to run for another term while still serving as army chief. New objections were filed after Friday’s court ruling, but the challenges were once again rejected and the Election Commission gave green light to Musharraf and five other candidates to present their candidacies for the presidential vote on October 6.

Among Musharraf’s challengers are Makhdoom Amin Fahim from the opposition Pakistan People's Party led by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and a retired judge, Wajih ud Din Ahmed.

Even so, the incumbent leader is expected to remain at the helm of Pakistan eight years after taking power in a bloodless military coup.

The verdict sparked discontent among lawyers who called for a countrywide “Black Day.” Thousands of lawyers across the country boycotted court proceedings and staged protests in several cities on Saturday.

The panel judges who rejected the petitions were accused of acting under government pressure, opposition members saying they continue to be “chained and subservient to the dictates of an army general.”

“This has disappointed all of us, we should go for the critical option … We have decided to resign from parliament because military dictatorship is not good for the people of Pakistan, therefore we will resist it,” said Javed Hashmi, the acting leader of the opposition party Pakistan Muslim League (N).