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HYDERABAD, Jan 12: In a major pre-dawn swoop all over the Sindh province on Saturday, more than 125 activists of religious parties and organizations were rounded up by the police, ahead of the speech of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.
The activists of Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Sunni Tehrik (ST), Tehrik-i-Jafria Pakistan (TJP), Jaish-i-Muhammad (JM) topped the lists of arrested activists.
Raids were also conducted on the Madressahs (religious seminaries), being maintained by the SSP, ST and Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam (F) for arrests.
Officials claimed that lists were provided to the police and the activists, whose names were mentioned in the lists, had been arrested.
A senior official in Hyderabad confirmed that around 30 activists of SSP, TJP and ST had been arrested.
The raids, which began at around 2.00am and continued till Saturday morning, were conducted in the areas of Phuleli, Sakhi Pir, Hala, Kotri, B and A-sections, Baldia, City, Fort, Cantonment, Makki Shah and Gulshan-i-Hali and the Site police stations.
The activists were picked from Paretabad, Phuleli, Sakhi Pir, Hali road, unit-7, 8 and 11 of Latifabad.
Around 22 activists were arrested from Phuleli, Sakhi Pir and Pinyari police station.
The leaders of JUI (F), Mohammed Dost Muhammad Farooqi, Taj Mohammad Nahyoon, Haji Abdul Malik Talpur and others, have condemned the arrest of its 10 more workers.
They said that the party had called an urgent meeting of its Shoora in Hyderabad which would be presided over by Maulana Abdul Samad Halejvi.
OUR CORRESPONDENT FROM MIRPURKHAS ADDS: Heavy contingents of police rounded up over 35 activists of religious parties in massive crackdown here on late Friday night.
They were being kept at unknown places.
The police denied the arrests.
It demanded release of the arrested activists of the SSP.
OUR CORRESPONDENT FROM THATTA ADDS: Thatta police during its over night massive crackdown against the activists of religious political parties have arrested about three dozen activists from various towns of the district.
OUR NAWABSHAH CORRESPONDENT REPORTS: Some 27 people, belonging to different religious organizations, were nabbed from different parts of Nawabshah district.
The police, backed by officials of the secret agencies, conducted raids throughout the districts. Majority of the activists had gone into hiding.
OUR CORRESPONDENT FROM KHAIRPUR ADDS: Khairpur police have arrested eight activists of different religious parties on Saturday.
Raids were still being conducted for more arrests.
OUR CORRESPONDENT FROM DADU ADDS: Dadu town police arrested four leaders of TJP and SSP on Saturday night during raids in different areas.
Raids were still being conducted.
OUR CORRESPONDENT FROM BADIN ADDS: Badin police arrested six leaders from different parts of the district.
OUR CORRESPONDENT FROM NAUSHAHRO FEROZE ADDS: Forty-three activists of religious parties, including SSP and TJP, were arrested from different parts of Naushaharo Feroze district.
