12 May 2004	Wednesday	21 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, May 11: Condemning deportation of Shahbaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia, PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq said on Tuesday the party would devise its future course of action in consultation with the lawyers who had argued the former chief minister's case before the apex court.

At a news conference here, he said the deportation was in violation of the Supreme Court decision. Under the constitution, he said the government and the administration were bound to follow the apex court's verdict. He reminded that the Supreme Court had held that Shahbaz was free to come to Pakistan and live here.

He said a large number of people had been arrested in various cities. Syed Mamnoon Husain, Imdad Chandio, Mushahidullah Khan and Raja Ashfaq Sarwar were also present on the occasion.

In a separate statement, MNA Saad Rafiq said Shahbaz would return to Pakistan even if he was deported a thousand times. He said what the government had done was fascism.

He said despite obstacles, PML-N workers had reached the gate of the airport, and in the areas near the airport, the people had welcomed Shahbaz with fireworks.

He said the responsibility to create a law and order situation rested with the government. The deportation would intensify, not suppress, the struggle for democracy, he said.

PML-N leader Binyamin Rizvi said the Supreme Court should take a suo motu notice of violation of its verdict by the government. He said while police stations and jails were full with PML-N supporters, the information minister was claiming that only 110 people had been arrested.

RELEASED: Several ARD leaders detained at the residence of Mian Misbahur Rehman on Tuesday were released in the evening. Mian Misbah's house had been declared a sub-jail.

Those detained and released after seven hours included Syed Khurshid Shah, Naveed Chaudhry, Aitzaz Ahsan, Malik Hakimeen Khan, Syed Munir Husain Gilani, Abdul Qadeer Khamosh, Altaf Qureshi, Samina Ghurki, Firzana Raja, Mian Ayub, Mirza Nasir Beg, Uzma Bukhari and Faiza Malik.

They were detained when they were about to leave for Nila Gumbad to participate in an ARD procession.