Pakistani authorities have placed a prominent opposition lawyer back under house arrest, just hours after giving him a temporary reprieve.

Aitzaz Ahsan, in Lahore, 20 Dec

Aitzaz Ahsan was re-arrested Friday as he traveled from his home in Lahore to Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, to meet with fired chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

He was taken back to his Lahore home after being stopped by police.

Ahsan had been temporarily released from house arrest on Thursday to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

The opposition lawyer served as lead counsel for Chaudhry, whose suspension by President Pervez Musharraf in March triggered nationwide protests.

Last month, Ahsan was detained and placed under house arrest under emergency powers President Musharraf invoked on November 3. He is a senior member of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party.

President Musharraf has lifted the state of emergency but vowed that Supreme Court justices removed during emergency rule would not be reinstated.

Chaudhry also remains under house arrest.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.