FAISALABAD, April 3: As many as 59 activists of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, including its local leaders, have been booked under the anti-terrorism act here on Sunday.

All nominated leaders and workers were already in police custody as they had been picked up from different parts of the district on April 2 in connection with a strike call given by the religious alliance.

Jhang Bazaar police have registered a case against 36 MMA activists, including its district president Sardar Zafar Hussain, for creating a law and order problem, damaging public property, pelting stones at police and public, forcing traders to close business and chanting slogans against the government.

The case has been registered under section 7 of the anti-terrorism act, 16 MPO, 109, 148, 149, 188, 427 and 440 PPC.

Jaranwala police have also registered a case against six MMA leaders, including Rai Akram Kharal, Tanveer and Haider, on charges of delivering ‘objectionable’ speeches against the government and blocking traffic.

A similar case has been registered by Gojra police in Toba Tek Singh district against MMA activists Arif Mehmood, Adnan, Rehmatullah, Waqas, Shahid and two others.

Police sources said that all arrested MMA leaders and workers would be presented before an Anti-Terrorist Court and other local courts on Monday for remand.

Meanwhile, MMA’s local leaders Azeem Randhawa, Mazhar Abbas Alvi and others speaking at a news conference criticized a police raid on the central office of the Jamaat-i-Islami in Chiniot Bazaar on Friday night and termed it a terrorist act. They demanded release of all MMA leaders and workers, warning the government of a strong protest.

They alleged that the government had deliberately created a law and order problem in the country on the day of a ‘peaceful’ strike.