September 10, 2007	Monday	Sha'aban 27, 1428

RAWALPINDI, Sept 9: Continuing police crackdown and fear of arrest has forced many Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers and leaders to stay away from the preparations being made to accord a hero’s welcome to Nawaz Sharif who is arriving in Islamabad on Monday.

As a result the much-hyped massive mobilisation claim has watered down with police carrying out sweeps to arrest party activists.

Even ordinary workers are not daring to paste stickers of Nawaz Sharif fearing being arrested. The police have either removed stickers on bumpers of vehicles or impounded them.

With anti-encroachment squads of the eight town municipal administrations (TMAs) of the district having cleared all roads, markets and other places of pro-Nawaz Sharif banners, neither Rawalpindi city was a centre of activity nor its people were enthusiastic about the arrival of Mr Sharif after seven years.

On the other hand, police have been deployed at all entry and exit points of the city, including bus stations.

On Sunday afternoon when the local leaders tried to gather at Faizabad to hold a rally, the police stopped them at Chandni Chowk and arrested 60 workers, including a union council nazim.

Former MPA and PML-N Rawalpindi chapter general-secretary Sardar Nasim told Dawn that the police had beaten up workers and impounded some 90 motorcycles for violating section 144 that prohibited assembly of five or more people in the city.

Mr Nasim said all hotel owners had been strictly warned by the police not to provide accommodation to anyone belonging to the NWFP, Sindh or Balochistan otherwise strict action would be taken against them.

He said the district administration had cancelled licences of those signboard contractors who had permitted display of Nawaz Sharif’s banners.

“Even police officials were seen removing banners and posters of the PML-N, and it was for the first time in the country’s history that police had been used in this exercise,” the local office-bearer said.

Majority of the party workers were staying away from their homes to avoid arrest, he said, adding that the police were ransacking houses and misbehaving with their family members.

However, he said despite all odds, the workers would accord a rousing welcome to their leader and bring some 5,000 people to Islamabad airport on Monday.

ATTOCK: G.T. Road was closed for traffic by law enforcement agencies setting up barriers at various points to prevent PML-N workers and leaders from entering Rawalpindi from the NWFP to join the main rally to welcome Nawaz Sharif at Islamabad airport.

Heavy police force has been deployed at Attock bridge as well as at other entry points.

The police have set up checkposts at various points of Attock city to keep strict check on the movement of local PML-N leaders and workers.

TAXILA: The local administration, backed by police and law enforcement agencies, blocked all roads leading to Islamabad-Rawalpindi by putting heavy containers.

Heavy contingents of police reached G.T. Road and Hazara road at around 8pm and put containers as well as truckloads of sands in the middle of the road.

Due to the blockade, commuters travelling were left stranded and two to three kilometres long queue of vehicles could be seen on G.T. and Hazara roads.

GUJAR KHAN: About 19 workers of PML-N, including Mohammad Farooq and Ms Farah of the PML-N youth wing coming from Sindh, were arrested by Jhelum police at Lillah interchange, Dawn has learnt.

Meanwhile Jhelum police have also erected barricades on local link roads of the district to prevent PML-N activists from reaching Islamabad.