SHEIKHUPURA, Sept 30: As many as 15 supporters of PML nominee Munawar Manj, who is contesting election for the Sheikhupura tehsil nazim slot, were taken into custody by the police on Friday evening to prevent them from canvas-sing.

Those taken into custody included Abbas Ali, brother of UC nazim Ghulam Mustafa Watto, labour district seat candidate Amin Gadhi, Haji Liaquat Ali, Mian Akhtar Jallandhari, brother of ex-UC nazim Iftikhar Jallandhari, and Faryad Akram.

Mr Manj told journalists at his residence that the government had also uprooted election boards and portraits installed by his well-wishers as part of campaign.

He said although he was an activist of the ruling party, the government was resorting to negative tactics to force him to withdraw from the polls.

Mr Manj, who claims to have been enjoying the support of 34 UC nazims out of 51, resolved to contest the election.

He said on the direction of the chief minister, Sheikhupura DCO Zafar Iqbal Sheikh convened a meeting of elected nazims at his office to seek their opinion about the election, and 23 nazims pledged to support him. While his rival Bilal Virk, a nephew of MNA Saeed Virk, could bring only eight nazims and still the government was favouring him.

He urged the president and the prime minister to let him contest the election for “he remained loyal to the party through thick and thin.”