14 May 2004	Friday	23 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, May 13: As many as 124 political leaders and activists, belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People's Party, were released on bail by two anti-terrorism courts and courts of judicial magistrates in Model Town, Cantonment and other parts of the city on Thursday.

Most of them were arrested from Nila Gumbad, Lohari Gate, Gawalmandi, Nisbat Road and other parts of the city on May 11 when they were preparing to take out a procession to the Lahore airport to receive PML-N president Mian Shahbaz Sharif.

PML Lawyers Front general secretary Advocate Mohammad Sirajul Islam claims that about 60 party leaders and activists are still behind bars.

Punjab PML-N president Sardar Zulifqar Ali Khosa, MNAs Tehmina Daultana, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Sahibzada Fazle Karim, MPAs Malik Abdul Ahad, Rao Jahanzeb Khan Qavi, Mehr Ishtiaq Ahmad and Dr Asad Ashraf, former MNA Ahsan Iqbal, former MPA Pir Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Mohsin Hasan Shah, Sufi Mohammad Akram, Maqsood Husain Gujjar, Abdul Hameed Khoso, PML-N students wing president of Nawabshah, Kamran Rizvi from Karachi, Sardar Irfan Dogar, Maqsood Aslam and Khwaja Ahmad Hassan, Nazim of Data Ganj Bakhsh Town, were among the PML-N leaders set at liberty.

Also released on bail were former Lahore High Court judge Talat Yaqoob, Lahore PPP women wing president Sajida Mir, PPP's Bushra Sarfraz, Amina Zaidi, Tanvir Ashraf, Samina Arif, Mohammad Afzal, Abdul Nadeem Ghauri, Fehmida Khan, Shahzad Ali, Ayesha Murtaza, Shahnaz Bano, Mohammad Arshad, Qari Ashfaqullah, Advocates Tayyaba Hamid and Ejaz Maharvi, Fazal Karim, Din Mohammad Leghari from Karachi, Manzoor Ahmad Mani, Mugheesudin, Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmad Gujjar, Mohammad Aslam Bholi and Aamer Shahzad.

Advocates Sirajul Islam, Ejaz Khan, Raja Jahanzeb, Muqarram Khan and Raja Zulqarnain appeared in court on their behalf.

Still to be released include MPA Mohammad Afzal Kokhar, former MPA Inamullah Khan Niazi, Haji Haneef, Shauki Khan and Asghar Butt. The bail application of Inamullah Khan Niazi is scheduled to be taken up by the Lahore High Court on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court released Advocate Naseer Ahmad Bhutta on bail. The government withdrew charges against the president of Gujranwala district bar, Saifullah Cheema, which led to his release.

The arrested political leaders and activists were charged with inciting public against the government and damaging public and private property.