20 February 2005	Sunday	10 Muharram 1426

TOBA TEK SINGH, Feb 19: Police on Saturday arrested a number of people for violation of ban on pillion riding.

The ban was imposed in the wake of Muharram to prevent any untoward incident but the decision was not widely publicized by the district administration.

Public circles have condemned massive arrests of the people. They claimed that police were minting money as they let a violator go after receiving bribe. They arrested those who could not grease their palms.

They urged police high-ups to allow violators to produce their identity or other documents or if a councillor or Nazim confirmed that the violator was a gentleman, he should immediately be released. They said the arrested people would have to spend two days in prison as they would get bail on Monday.

VEHARI: The district police arrested over 200 pillion riders during the last three days. Reports said the police arrested those who did not provide any identification and documents. Their bikes were sent to the respective police stations.

A traffic police spokesman Chaudhry Mohammad Saleem told Dawn that 90 per cent pillion riders were arrested under Section 188, and their cases were also filed with the police stations concerned. Some of them were released after bail by the judicial magistrate, he said.