FAISALABAD, July 20: Police arrested 16 Sunni Tehrik activists, including its central chief Sarwat Ijaz Qadri, and refused to grant permission to the religious outfit for holding a congregation here on Thursday.

Special police teams, comprising armed commandoes of the Elite Force and the Punjab constabulary, sealed all routes leading to Aminpur Bazaar around the Clock Tower and erected barricades to stop the “Shuhada-i-Conference” arranged by the Sunni Tehrik in connection with the Nishtar Park killings.

The police informed local ST activists that the conference should be postponed as some sabotage activity could be carried out. But the ST management refused to accept the plea and started arrangements for the conference. Law enforcers encircled the ST offices in Aminpur Bazaar and rounded up its entire leadership, including the central chief, who had reached Faisalabad from Karachi.

Those arrested include Muhammad Nasir, Muhammad Yameen, Arshad Saleem, Muhammad Ramzan Qadri, Muhammad Anwar, Muhammad Tariq, Kashif and Muhammad Latif.

After the raid on the ST office in Aminpur Bazaar, local leaders and activists gathered at the site of the conference but police dispersed them.

Police officials claimed that the step had been taken to protect the Sunni Tehrik leadership and its workers as there could be some “negative” activity.