September 24, 2007	Monday	Ramazan 11, 1428

RAWALPINDI, Sept 23: As many as 700 leaders and activists of All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) are expected to be arrested in the police crackdown in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Dawn has learnt.

The source said the police had been given a list of 700 activists and leaders of the APDM to be arrested. They are from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA).

Police officials said the opposition leaders and activists had been taken into temporary custody under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

Those who had been arrested during the last 24 hours include PML-N President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, MMA leaders Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and Mian Mohammad Aslam and two Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) local leaders Abdul Nasir and Malik Bland Ajwat. They have been sent to Adiala jail under MPO for 30 days.

The jail authorities confirmed that they had so far received five opposition leaders, including Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, who was arrested in Saturday night’s crackdown.

A source said Irrigation Rest House near Rawal Dam had been declared ‘sub-jail’ where PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq had been detained.

A number of other prominent opposition figures have gone into hiding, including PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

In Rawalpindi police carried out raids to arrest PML-N local leader Sardar Nasim, Chaudhry Tanveer Khan, Akhtar Mehmood, Shaukat Butt and MMA leader Hanif Abbasi but so far they have escaped arrest.

However, New Town police have arrested PML-N leader Abid Abbasi from his residence while another activist Ibrar Ahmed was arrested from Westridge.

Opposition parties (APDM) have vowed to disrupt Gen Pervez Musharraf’s attempt to get himself re-elected as president for a new five-year term.