June 13, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 27, 1428

FAISALABAD, June 12: A hide and seek between the police and office-bearers and workers of political parties is on ahead of the visit of Chief Justice of Pakistan on June 16. In another development, Lahore High Court’s Multan Bench declared the arrests of political activists illegal.

Sources say police have prepared a list of ‘wanted’ people and classified them into three categories. Fifteen of the ‘most wanted’ are ticket holders of the PML-N and the PPP and the remaining are the office-bearers and active political workers, they add.

Earlier, the names of MNAs and MPAs were also included in the list more than 200 wanted people. However, later the list was curtailed to 35.

The names of MPAs and MNAs were excluded from the lists fearing the likely public wrath, they continued.

Meanwhile, 15 office bearers and ticket-holders, including Ijaz Ahmad Virk, Khwaja Islam, Ismail Bhatti, Kamran Nayyar Dar, Ismail Seela, Nisar Akbar, Saeed Sajid, Akram Ansari, Malik Mohammad Din, Tasnim Elahi, Zulfiqar Anyat, Akram Kharal, Badruddin, Mehr Abdul Rashid, Khalid Mahmood and Nawab Sher Wasir have been booked under MPO 16 by different police stations.

Interestingly, all the people booked under MPO 16 got interim bails from courts and went underground to escape arrest.

A police officer, seeking anonymity, said earlier police detained some low profile political workers and forwarded the list to the Punjab government to show its efficiency. However, the government expressed its annoyance over it.

He said all the SHOs had been directed to ensure the arrest of activists residing in their jurisdiction.

Sources said police started raids on Monday night afresh to arrest the remaining political worker and leaders.

MULTAN: The Lahore High Court, Multan bench, has termed the detention order of six political workers of Multan district illegal and ordered their release.

Muhammad Bilal Butt, counsel of MMA’s Asif Akhwani, PPP’s Saeed Moni , M. Saleem Raja, PML-N’s Muneer Langah, Rana Muhammad Yousaf and Imtiaz Gulzar Chattan told this correspondent that Mr Justice Jahangeer Arshad had declared their detention under Section 144 illegal.

Misbah Tabasam and others had filed the petition through their counsel Malik Rafique Rajwana, Muhammad Bilal Butt and Azeemul Haq Pirzada and took stand that the arrests of their relatives were legal.