15 May 2004	Saturday	24 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, May 14: Detention orders against a number of PML-N leaders and activists prevented their release on Thursday despite the fact that they were allowed bail by anti-terrorist courts.

MPA Rana Mashhood Khan told a news conference here on Friday that the Punjab government had issued orders of their detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, after they were allowed to be released on bail.

Mr Khan, who is the president of the PML-N Lawyers Forum's Punjab wing, issued a list of detainees who included MPAs Mehr Mohammad Ishtiaq (Lahore), Chaudhry Tahir Iqbal (Vehari) and Rao Jahanzeb Khan (Sheikhupura), former MPAs Malik Nadeem Kamran and Malik Mohammad Riaz, Lahore union council 92 Nazim Shoaib Khan Niazi, Naib Nazim Nazir Ahmad Khan Swati, Syed Farrukh Shah, spokesman for PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif and Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan, Data Ganj Bakhsh Town Nazim.

Sirajul Islam, who was present on the occasion, claimed that police raided the house of Nazir Swati, intimidated his family members and took away his son. Action against the family members in a situation when Swati was already under detention, was highly condemnable.

Rana Mashhood claimed that detention orders of nine people were issued after their bail pleas were accepted by the anti-terrorist courts on Thursday.

He alleged that the Punjab government was out to settle some personal score with the detainees. He condemned the detention order and demanded their withdrawal.

He claimed that about 600 activists of the PML-N and the PPP were arrested before and on May 11, the day when Shahbaz Sharif landed at Lahore and was later deported. Cases were registered against some 3,200 activists by different police stations in the city.

According to him, 367 activists were still in jail, most of them accused of damaging public property and taking out unlawful processions.

He said MNA Tehmina Daultana was facing similar circumstances. She was allowed bail but was not released from jail because the authorities claimed that she had been detained under MPO.

He claimed that Punjab PML-N general secretary MNA Khwaja Saad Rafiq had been framed in a murder case.

PETITION: The Lahore High Court will take up on May 17 petitions filed by MNA Tehmina Daultana and three other PML-N leaders against their detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960.

The others petitioners are; former MNAs Rana Barjees Tahir and Amanullah Khan Niazi and a party worker, Amanullah Khan.