Islamabad: Pakistani police for the third day on May 29 arrested and blocked the entry of Opposition lawmakers forcing their way into the Punjab provincial Assembly as part of their agitation against President Pervez Musharraf's Constitutional amendments.

The entry of 27 Opposition party legislators was blocked by police in line with the ban imposed on them by the Speaker from entering the building, reports from Lahore said.

Some of the lawmakers were also arrested when they were blocking roads as part of their agitation.

Meanwhile, the six-party Islamist Alliance said it would step up its agitation against the amendments by holding countrywide rallies from June 10.

The Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA) has decided to launch countrywide public meetings from June 10 to protest Musharraf's refusal to relinquish his post as army chief, MMA vice president and chief of the Jamat-e-Islami (JeI) Qazi Hussain Ahmed told reporters after a meeting on May 28 night.

However, MMA said it would support the President if he quits his post as Army chief.

"The MMA has decided to ask Musharraf to quit the COAS (chief of Army staff) office by August 10. And if he does so, the alliance will support him in getting elected through the electoral college of Parliament," Ahmad said.

PTI