FAISALABAD, Jan 6: The Punjab Home Department on Friday decided to detain ‘high-profile religious leaders and extremists’ for a period of one to three months to avoid any protest movement from the religious groups.

Tehrik-i-Islami’s district president and an active leader of the Shia community, Rana Muhammad Asghar, was arrested and sent to local central jail for three months while five religious leaders and activists were picked up from Jhang.

On Friday, local police teams raided a number of houses of religious activists but failed to round up them. However, Rana Asghar was sent to Jail under MPO.

Similarly, Jhang police also rounded up five religious activists, including former provincial minister and banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan leader Sheikh Hakim Ali.