LAHORE, May 7: Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) member of the Punjab Assembly,Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, is said to have been detained by police hours after a Lahore High Court decision that the MPA should not be harassed.

The MPA and PML-N Lawyers Front secretary Sirajul Islam had filed a joint writ petition fearing that they would be arrested for taking an active part in mobilizing the people to reach Lahore airport for the reception of Mr Shahbaz Sharif.

The high court disposed of the petition with the direction to the provincial administration that the petitioners should not be harassed. Later, when a meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association was in progress with vice-president Syed Zulfiqar Ali Bokhari in the chair, Sirajul Islam interrupted the proceedings to inform the house that Rana Mashhood Ahmad, who is also a member of the Punjab Bar Council, had been taken into custody by the police.

Bar secretary Azam Nazir Tarar confirmed the information from the quarters concerned that the MPA-advocate was in police custody and was put under detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance because the administration feared his activities might cause a law and order situation in view of his efforts to assemble people for the reception of Mr Shahbaz Sharif.

The news fired up the Bar meeting and all lawyers condemned the government action terming it contempt of court. Lawyers criticized the Punjab government for not permitting a peaceful and legal political activity.

The Bar's general house adopted a unanimous resolution condemning the arrest of Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan. The PML-N lawyers were later engaged in preparing another petition in the Lahore High Court contending that the MPA's arrest amounted to competent of court.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Husain Chaudhry referred it to Justice Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad. The judge at his home called assistant advocate-general and issued him a notice for Monday, the next date for hearing.