September 10, 2007	Monday	Sha'aban 27, 1428

FAISALABAD, Sept 9: The hide-and-seek between the police and the PML-N loyalists, including the MNAs and MPAs, continued till late Sunday — hours before the Sharif brothers were scheduled to land in Islamabad.

Setting about the target of capturing the parliamentarians and other PML-N activists, the police raided the residences and outhouses of the MNAs and MPAs but most of them had gone into hiding. The police, however, sealed entry and exit points in many districts of Punjab to prevent possible early-morning efforts of the activists to reach the capital for Sharifs’ welcome.

Sources in Faisalabad police said the officials were directed to arrest the parliamentarians as well and the SHOs conducted raids at various places to catch their targets, but with little success.

Meanwhile, a number of policemen were dispatched to Islamabad to join hands with the Islamabad police to avert any eventuality on the arrival of the Sharifs.

A police officer told Dawn on the request of anonymity that the police were earlier barred from arresting the parliamentarians, but the government then passed on directions not to spare them. The transporters, he said, had been asked not to extend facility of vehicles to the PML-N men.

He declined to give details of the arrested activists.

KASUR: Hundreds of political workers and office-bearers of the PML-N managed to avert arrests by timely moving to undisclosed locations in anticipation of crackdown.

Though the PML-N activists have arranged for public transport, the vehicle owners said they were being threatened by the district administration for facilitating the politicians.

Banner printers, too, had been warned against doing any service to the PML-N.

Among the PML-N loyalists is district nazim Rana Muhammad Hayat, who vowed to defy all restrictions and accord historic welcome to the leader.

MANDI BAHAUDDIN: In this neck of the wood, the police sealed Dewaan Chowk to prevent the PML-N workers’ movement to the Islamabad airport. A huge caravan was scheduled to leave for the capital on Monday morning.

PML-N District President Dewaan Mushtaq Ahmad claimed that over 200 PML-N workers had so far been arrested in the district. He said hundreds of workers, including himself, had already reached Islamabad through different routes.

In many other districts, including Sheikhupura, Gujranwala and Sialkot, district police teams cracked down on the PML-N activists and sealed routes to the capital.

In Bahawalpur, the Civil Lines police registered a case under 16-MPO against six PML-N activists for “delivering provocative speeches”.

They were: Hammad Nadeem Merani alias Juggi, Malik Jawad, Malik Pahari, Sadiq Rehmani, Aqeel Najam Hashmi and Ghulam Nabi Dogar. Mr Dogar was already under arrest while others have reportedly reached Islamabad.