September 09, 2007	Sunday	Sha'aban 26, 1428

VEHARI, Sept 8: The police continued their search and arrest operation against the PML-N leaders and workers on Saturday as over 200 more were detained in several parts of the province. In Vehari district, at least 12 PML-N leaders and activists, including Malik Muhammad Sarwar, Rana Ramzan, Dr Saeed, Muhammad Amin, Muhammad Arshad, Shahid Nawaz, Ghulam Rasool and Muhammad Akbar, were arrested from their houses. A police source said that main leaders, including Tehmina Daultana, Chaudhry Zahid Anwer Wahla, Sikander Daultana, MPA Dr Nazir, Naseem Khichi and Naeem Akhtar, had already gone underground after locking their houses. Talking to Dawn by phone from some unknown destination, Chaudhry Zahid Wahla said the PML-N had already made arrangements to receive their leaders in Islamabad on Monday (tomorrow).

SIALKOT: The figures of Saturday’s 121 arrests in Sialkot and Narowal districts surpassed the previous day’s total detention of 113 PML-N men.

Reports said that most of leaders and workers in both districts had gone underground to escape their arrests.

MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Seventeen more arrests were made in the district in the ongoing crackdown on PML-N leaders and activists.

Among the arrested was former MNA Mumtaz Ahmed Tarar. While Gojra, Malikwal and Phalia police arrested Muhammad Arshad Arain, Ghulam Abbas Dhillon, Umar Hayat Warraich, Safdar Iqbal, Akram Arain, Maulvi Haleem, Ghulam Abbas Gondal, Dost Mohammad Chhaba, Mazhar Hussain, Nafees Anjum, Akbar Kamboh, Zarafat Hussain, Raja Atif, Akbar Sandhu, Mirza Khalid Mehmood and Muhammad Ashraf.

PML-N district president Dewaan Mushtaq Ahmed said the police had removed portraits of Mian Nawaz Sharif from the city.

KHANEWAL: A large number of PML-N office-bearers and leaders, including union council No 4 nazim Dr Muhammad Shafique, were arrested in the district. Dr Shafique was arrested from his hospital.

In Mian Channu, the police arrested party’s Punjab joint secretary and former district council chairman Nawab Farhatullah Khan, Ansar Wyne, Shahid Bashir, Liaquat Zia, Nasir Ali Toor, Muddassir Bhutta, Malik Sarfraz, Hafiz Fazalur Rehman, Mian Muhammad Ramzan, Abdul Wahid, Ghulam Haidar Sampal and Nisar Ahmad Bazmi.

Activist Liaquat Ali was taken into custody from Jahanian tehsil.

BAHAWALPUR: Police picked up nine more PML-N activists in different parts of the district.

Those arrested were: Muhammad Shahid Tabish, Chaudhry Zafar Iqbal Ramay, Malik Munir, Ghulam Farid Abbasi, Malik Qadir Baksh, Ghulam Haider and Fayyaz Naich (Uch Sharif), Muhammad Hanif (Khairpur) and Muhammad Bakhsh (Ahmedpur East).

SHEIKHUPURA: Around a dozen leaders and workers of the PML-N, including city vice-president Falak Sher, secretary-general Umar Mushtaq and Sikandar Shah, were detained.