September 06, 2007	Thursday	Sha'aban 23, 1428

LAHORE, Sept 5: Police raided houses and offices of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders and activists on the second consecutive day on Wednesday and took dozens of them into custody, it is learnt.

Senior police officers, however, were not available for confirming or denying the arrests.

The raids are the part of provincial government’s strategy to stop activists from welcoming their leaders Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shahbaz Sharif on their expected return to Pakistan on Sep 10.

On Tuesday, the police had detained eight PML-N people, including party’s Lahore president Mian Marghoob Ahmed, from Green Town during a gathering. The police charged them with violation of section 144.

On Wednesday, police detained Mian Shahbaz Ahmed, general secretary UC-9, Ravi Road.

Police also raided houses of Lahore acting president Malik Riaz in Shahdara and UC-9 president Syed Mehmoodul Hassan but could not find them.

The raids were also conducted in Gawalmandi, Walled City, Garhishahu and Misri Shah.

PML-N Punjab Additional Secretary Ijaz Rafee and Nasir Iqbal told a press conference on Wednesday that party activists were being taken into custody in every city and town but most of the arrests had been made in Rawalpindi and Okara.

The press conference was to be addressed by former provincial secretary-general Zaeem Qadri but he did not turn up fearing his arrest by the police.

A press release issued by the Shahbaz Sharif secretariat claimed the arrest of Zubaida Bhatti, senior vice president of the women wing, and activist Billa Tyraanwala, during late night raids by police.

The release further claimed that the police also raided houses of Shahbaz Sharif’s political secretary Noshad Hameed, media adviser Rana Ashraf, vice presidents Zakrya Saeed and Sardar Waseem and women wing president of Shahbaz Sharif secretariat,

Baji Salma Butt, but could not arrest them due to their absence.

Unsuccessful raids were also conducted at houses of PML-N leaders and workers including Sheikh Shahid Iqbal, Muhammad Rasheed, Shahid Mehmood Shazi, Haji Aslam Bhatti, Zahid Malik, Perveen Akhtar Rana, Rahat Shaukat, Dilshad Shah, Malik Mehmoodul Hassan, Asghar Kokab, Akhtar Hussain and others.

The release said the police had practically occupied the Shahbaz Sharif secretariat for the last two days and no body was being allowed to enter it.

A direction has been issued to the secretariat workers to go under ground till the arrival of Sharif brothers, the release said.