RAWALPINDI, Nov 18: Eight activists of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) were declared proclaimed offenders here on Thursday for disobeying court directives.

Special Judicial Magistrate Ahmed Masaud Janjua also directed the Banni police to arrest and present them before the court on December 1. The eight PML-N workers included PML-N Youth Wing President Shahbaz Gooshi, Muslim Students Federation President Babar Awan and ex-councillors, including Chaudhry Rasab, Mansoor Baig, Aqeel Shaukat, Zafar Iqbal, Shabeer Shah and Shaikh Azhar.

The judge took the move after the repeated failure of the PML-N workers to appear before the court during the hearing of a case registered by Banni police against them under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

According to the prosecution, the workers had disturbed public peace on the occasion of arrival of Kalsoom Nawaz to Rawalpindi soon after her spouse and former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, was removed from power in a military coup on October 12, 1999. However, some of the workers, who were declared proclaimed offenders, are now associated with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML).

The PML-N workers Tanveer Ahmed Shaikh, Haji Mohammad Khan and Maqbool Ahmed Khan, nominated in the case, were, however, present in the court during the hearing of the case.

Meanwhile, Civil Judge Javaid Iqbal awarded two-year and four-month rigorous imprisonment to Ishfaq in a robbery case registered by Ganjmandi police.

The additional district and sessions judge, Abdul Haq, also directed the station house officer (SHO) of Airport police station to register a case against his subordinate, Sub- Inspector Azam Butt and five others for allegedly occupying a plot after transferring it to their names on forged documents.

The court took the move after a complainant, Sajjad Ahmed, contended before the court that the Airport police station's officials were not registering his complaint.

According to the complainant, the ASI in connivance with five persons, Rabnawaz, Khadim Hussain, Abdul Qadar, Shah Jehan and Shaikh Haroon had transferred his plot ( plot No 12, Gulraiz Housing Scheme) in their names through forged documents and later forcibly occupied it.

Azim Tariq case: The judge of anti-terrorism court No 1, Manzoor Ahmed Mirza, started recording the final arguments of the prosecution in the Azam Tariq murder case.

The arguments was initiated by the prosecution, Basharatullah Khan advocate. The court has already completed recording of the statements of the prosecution witnesses in the case.

The court adjourned the case till Friday.

The court also started recording arguments of the defence counsel in Shah Najaf Imambargah terrorism case.