September 07, 2007	Friday	Sha'aban 24, 1428

ATTOCK, Sept 6: The police on Thursday arrested 19 workers and activists of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from different areas of the Attock district. However, three of them were later released.

The arrests were made during a police crackdown on the party activists in a bid to restrict their activities relating to the return of party chief Mian Nawaz Sharif on September 10.

President PML-N Attock district Mian Habibur Rehman Advocate said the arrested activists included Hasanabdal chapter president Asad Zaman Tahirkheli, district information secretary Khalid Mehmood, Malik Mansoor, Ishfaq, Sher Mohammad Tanoli. He said they had been shifted to Hasanabdal city police station. Rehman said the police also raided his office to arrest some of his colleagues but left the premises when they put up a strong resistance.

Later, except Asad Zaman Tahirkheli and Khalid Mehmood, all the arrested workers were released, he said. He said the SHO refused to release the two workers saying they were wanted in a case registered against opposition leaders/workers when the chief justice of Pakistan stayed at Hasanabdal on way to Abbotabad three months ago. He said seven workers of the party were also arrested in Jand, four in Fatehjang and three in Attock city.

MURREE: Police have booked 220 PML-N workers and leaders under 16 MPO (maintenance of public order).

They were booked for holding a meeting at the residence of Raja Ishfaq Sarwar Punjab PML-N secretary general at Gayer Gali.

The meeting was attended by 300 workers and leaders of the PML-N. They were gathered to finalise arrangements for giving what they said a rousing welcome to Nawaz Sharif who is due on September 10.

Murree police could not arrest the persons nominated in the FIR as the leadership of local PML-N managed to go underground. Raja Waheed Mehfooz, a leader of Punjab PML-N, was arrested by Murree police last night.

JHELUM: The district police in Jhelum arrested 32 Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers, while Raja Asad, MNA and Raja Afzal, senior vice president Punjab PML-N, criticized the arrests terming them a negation of political and human rights of party workers.

Reliable sources said, the Jhelum police raided different areas of Pind Dadan Khan, Dina Sohawa and Jhelum tehsils and rounded up 32 political activists, belonging to the PML-N, in connection with organising a welcome event coinciding with the arrival of their party chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif, on Monday (Sept 10).

According to details, 14 activists were rounded up from Dina; nine from Pind Dadan Khan, five from the Jhelum city and four from the Sohawa area.

Mr Asad and Mr Afzal of the PML-N Punjab chapter, in a news release, criticized the reported arrests of their party workers and demanded their instant release.