Police in eastern Pakistan have arrested around 100 Islamic activists after they threatened to block a mixed-sex marathon this weekend. Those arrested on Saturday were from the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a six-party alliance which favours Taliban-style fundamentalist laws and which banned male coaches from training female athletes in North West Frontier Province in 2003. Police spokesman Nayab Haider Naqvi said: "More than 100 MMA workers and activists including students have been arrested by Lahore police for attacking and injuring policemen." The MMA, which has vowed to disrupt Sunday's marathon in Lahore if women take part, disputed the police figures and said more than 1000 workers had been arrested. Amirul Azeem, the MMA's Lahore chief said: "So far police have arrested more than 1000 MMA workers from Lahore and different cities of Punjab province. "The government is trying to stop our protest over the mixed marathon race."