The roughly 8,500 elite police and paramilitary troops in riot gear began clearing the 2,000 or so demonstrators soon after dawn, with nearby roads and markets closed.
The operation came after a court ordered the protest to stop saying it has disrupted normal activity in the city. Police arrested dozens of people after using tear gas to disperse protesters who were resisting by throwing stones.
The Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah party is demanding the removal of the law minister over a recently omitted reference to the Prophet Muhammad in a parliamentary bill.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP