RAWALPINDI, April 21: Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, president of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and former MPA of Jamaat-i-Islami, Dr Afzal Aizaz, were taken into custody by Rawalpindi police late Sunday night, police authorities said.
The police also arrested Nawabzada’s driver Mohammad Ihsan, Muhammad Nawaz, Amjad Gillani, Bashir Ahmed, Mohammad Asif and 80 JI activists.
The ARD chief and Jamaat-i-Islami Rawalpindi leader Dr Afzal Aizaz were taken into custody at Fawwara Chowk on Murree Road when they came to address an anti-referendum rally there.
The government has banned rallies at places where the president’s public meetings are to be held. The police shifted the Nawabzada in a police van to some unknown place. While Dr Aizaz was kept in the City police station.
A source close to the police, said the ARD chief and the JI leader would be released sometimes after midnight. However, he added, cases would be registered against the JI activists.
Some JI activists gathered at Committee Chowk at about 11.30pm and set afire tyres and blocked Murree Road in protest against the arrests of the ARD and JI leaders.
Despite police efforts to stop the JI activists and workers from gathering at Fawara Chowk where the JI “Karwan” against referendum was scheduled to be held, about 150 workers and activists managed to reach the venue.
At Fawara Chowk, a recorded speech of Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed was relayed. In his speech, Qazi pledged to continue protest against the government. He said the government had failed on all fronts.
While Qazi’s speech was going on, the Nawabzada along with JI’s Dr Aizaz came there.
While talking to journalists, the Nawabzada said: “It is our right to protest.”
Soon after Nawabzada started talking, the police took him into custody and shifted him into the van.
The police, meanwhile, continued a crack down on JI workers in the city. In a related operation, which is underway in the federal capital, the police have been deployed at the JI office at Aabpara.
RAWALPINDI, April 21: Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, president of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and former MPA of Jamaat-i-Islami, Dr Afzal Aizaz, were taken into custody by Rawalpindi police late Sunday night, police authorities said.
