February 18, 2006	Saturday	Muharram 19, 1427

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LAHORE, Feb 17: Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat on Friday rejected as pack of lies PPP’s allegations that hundreds of its leaders and workers had been arrested or detained in various cities. “They are telling lies. The PPP planned to hold a rally in Islamabad on Friday, which the government did not permit. There was no other event, and thus no question of any arrests”, he said while talking to Dawn.

A PPP leader claimed at a news conference that the government had arrested 650 leaders and workers from various cities and raided the residences of many others. Raja Basharat said the government had arrested “some” PML-N leaders for their involvement in the Tuesday incidents. He said for the time being he was not in a position to give their exact number, but all those arrested were seen in the videos prepared by the government.

He hinted at the possibility of more arrests on the basis of evidence of those whose vehicles or properties had been set ablaze. Police officials would also identify the people who had attacked them, and such elements would also be dealt in accordance with the law, the minister said. Asked whether the action would not widen further the gulf between the government and the opposition parties, the minister said people’s lives could not be put at risk for the sake of good relations between the two sides.

He said the government was duty-bound to take steps to protect the life and property of the people and it was doing its best for the purpose.

Raja Basharat said the government had allowed the opposition parties to hold rallies on Tuesday because the sacrilegious cartoons of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had hurt the feelings of all Muslims. But, he said, this did not mean that the protesters should torch anything that came their way.

Had the government not allowed the protest, many would have got an excuse to criticize it, saying it would have been a peaceful event. But now everyone has seen that the opposition parties had a political agenda behind the rallies on what was essentially a religious issue, the minister argued. He referred to a statement made by MMA President Qazi Husain Ahmed that the rallies marked the beginning of a movement against the government.

The caricatures had been published in Denmark and some other countries but the movement was being launched against the Pakistan government, Raja said, satire obvious in his tone.

Replying to a question, the minister made it clear that rallies had been banned all over the province and no party would be allowed to violate the law.

He said if any party wanted to protest on any particular issue it was free to use the venue specified by the government.

Meanwhile, the Anarkali police have registered a case against Saad Rafiq, Zaeem Qadri and Shakir Mayo for their alleged involvement in setting Nigar Cinema at Bhati Gate Chowk on fire during the Feb 14 riots, reports APP.

“The case has been registered on the complaint of the cinema owner,” it quoted the police as having said.