17 April 2005	Sunday	07 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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FAISALABAD, April 16: Scores of PPP leaders and activists, who were taken into custody across the Punjab in the last couple of days, were freed on Saturday.

Police in Faisalabad released all the PPP leaders and workers, who were rounded up from different parts of the city and its rural areas.

Police sources said former MPA Raja Safdar Husain, Union Council Nazim Naeem Dastgir, People’s Youth Organization city president Rana Farrukh Mahmood and 29 others were initially planned to be nominated under 16 MPO but, later, they were freed by the police after receiving fresh instructions from the home department.

One of the activists told this correspondent that they were asked by the police not to approach any forum against their arrest or take part in political activities, otherwise, they would be rounded up again.

Earlier on Friday night, the Sargodha Road police had lodged a case against two dozen local office-bearers of the PPP.

Meanwhile, the District Bar Association has criticized police baton-charge of PPP workers, and arrests.

SIALKOT: All the PPP activists were released by police in Sialkot and Narowal by Saturday evening.

Earlier in the day, Daska police stopped a caravan near the BRB Canal Bridge when it was leading towards Lahore airport to welcome Mr Zardari. Daska city president Rana Inamullah was leading the group.

Among those arrested were Advocate Inamullah, district SVP Chaudhry Nazir Ahmad Dhillon and Daska SVP Tariq Mahmood Gujjar. People’s Labour Bureau President Sheikh Ziaullah Anjum was arrested at Lahore airport.

SAHIWAL: A similar situation was witnessed in Sahiwal and its suburbs where all the activists were let on bail.

They included tehsil president Hassan Murtaza Sherazi, PYW divisional chief Dr Azhar Kahloon, district president Tahir Abbas, Rao Saeed Ahmad and Noorshah president Zakir Husain Baral.

BAHAWALPUR: The tussle between police and the PPP men reached its climax in Bahawalpur where more arrests were made amid criticism by the party loyalists.

Two PPP activists were detained under 16 MPO in the Bahawalpur new central jail for two months. Ahmedpur East city president Sheikh Nawab and Yazman president Afzal Gill were arrested when they were ready to depart for Lahore.

Several other activists, including district president Riaz Dahar, city president Shakir Mirza and district information secretary Saleem Bhatti, however, reached Lahore by defying police restrictions.

OKARA: The district police continued crackdown on the PPP workers and arrested another 15 of them late Friday night.

Those held included Sarfraz, Lala Qasim, Hayat Khan, Muhammad Ramzan, Abdul Waheed, Ahmad Ali, Yousaf, Ibrar Husain, Ramzan Muhammad, Muhammad Saleem, Mazhar Husain, Rashid Ahmad, Arif Husain. They were booked under 16 MPO.

SARGODHA: The situation was tense even in Sargodha where the police did not allow the PPP workers to leave the district.

A group of PPP activists, led by former DBA president Rao Abdul Ghaffar, was stopped by the police. The activists were detained in Cantonment police station.

Prominent among them were divisional coordinator Malik Azizul Haq, Arshad Dhonda, Muhammad Ajmal, Muhammad Afzal, Muhammad Nazeer, Abul Rasheed and Muhammad Bashir Ghuman.