KARACHI, Aug 31: The Pakistan People’s Party claimed on Saturday that its 600 workers and members had been arrested in Sindh for staging protest demonstrations at various places against the rejection of nomination papers of party’s chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

A party spokesman said a big rally was arranged at Hasan Square where a number of party workers and members, including women, gathered to raise voice against the rejection of nomination papers of Benazir Bhutto.

Benazir Bhutto’s nomination papers were rejected in Ratto Dero by the Election Commission on ground that she had been convicted in a NAB reference.

The party spokesman said the party workers started assembling at Hasan Square intersection in the evening to stage a protest. He said more than 50 police mobile vans and a heavy number of police officials were deployed to disperse the protesting workers, who presented themselves for court arrest. He said the police picked up 60 workers and members put them behind bars at Aziz Bhatti and Gulshan-i-Iqbal police stations.

Those arrested included the of PPP Parliamentarian’s National Assembly candidate Najma Saeed Chawla, provincial candidates Khwaja Mohammad Bilal and Asghar Bihari.

A senior police official said: “We have detained 23 political activists for blocking the road and interrupting the traffic. We have released women activists. The remaining detainees will also be released in an hour or two.”

He said the law and order situation remained under control and no untoward incident took place in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

However, DIG Karachi (Operation) Tariq Jamil said: “Some political activists gathered at Hasan Square intersection and we forced them to disperse. We have made no arrests in this respect.”

He said the law and order situation in the metropolis remained peaceful. “We have intensified patrolling in the city and increased deployment especially at sensitive places”, he added.

PPP spokesman said another protest was staged on National Highway near District Malir Courts, which was led by PPP candidates Abdullah Murad, Omar Jatt, and Haji Mohammad Akhtar. The PPP workers and members staged the protest and later dispersed peacefully.

He claimed that a sit-in was staged on National Highway near Tando Mohammad Khan in the interior of Sindh where police resorted to baton charge the protesters to disperse them. He said the police picked up dozens of protesters, including Ameen Mohammad Lakho.

He said the protest demonstrations were also held at various places in the province, including Thatta, Mithi, Mitiari, Hala, Dadu, Jacobabad, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Wara, and other areas where the protesters raised slogans against the decision of the Election Commission for rejecting nomination papers of Benazir Bhutto and at some places the protesters observed token hunger strike, he added.