Pakistani police detained opposition leader Benazir Bhutto for seven days, police and her party said, just hours before she was due to lead a mass protest against President Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule.

'We have sent the (detention) notice inside and we have not yet got a reply,' Lahore Police Chief Aftab Cheema said at barriers blocking access to the house where Bhutto is staying. A party official confirmed the detention order had been served.

The detention comes hours before Bhutto was due to begin a 3-4 day motorcade protest from Lahore to Islamabad to demand Musharraf end emergency rule he imposed on Nov 3 and free thousands of detained opponents. Reuters