Pakistan will hold a national election by mid-January and President Pervez Musharraf has pledged to quit the military after criticism from the US for imposing emergency rule.
Musharraf has detained hundreds of lawyers and opposition politicians after taking emergency powers on Saturday, a move seen as designed to pre-empt a Supreme Court ruling on his re-election as president last month.
US President George W Bush, who values Musharraf as an ally in his battle against al Qaeda and the Taliban, called for a quick return to civilian rule and the release of detainees.
Attorney General Malik Abdul Qayyum said: 'It has been decided there would be no delay in the election and by 15 November, these assemblies (national and provincial) will be dissolved and elections will be held within the next 60 days.'
Police earlier baton-charged and detained dozens of lawyers protesting against the state of emergency imposed last Saturday.
Up to 500 people have been arrested so far in the crackdown.
In Karachi, police and paramilitary soldiers sealed off the High Court and barred journalists and lawyers from entering, before charging at lawyers who were outside the building.
Police ordered journalists at the scene not to take pictures.
At least ten lawyers were arrested in raids conducted in the northwestern city of Peshawar overnight and 200 lawyers gathered there for protests.
Roads in the capital, Islamabad, have been blocked to prevent lawyers getting to the Supreme Court, where the legal community plans rallies.
Gen Musharraf cited growing Islamic militancy and hostile judges as justification for his decision at the weekend.
