ISLAMABAD, Sept 27: The government on Thursday released over 200 political leaders and activists, including top Pakistan Muslim League (N) leaders, who had been rounded up from different parts of the country under the maintenance of public order and for violating section 144, sources told Dawn.

Prominent among those released are: PML (N) chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, MNA Mian Mohammad Aslam, former senior minister of NWFP Siraj-ul-Haq, local Jamaat-i-Islami leaders Abdul Nasir and Malik Blandajwat.

Raja Zafar was kept in a rest-house at the Rawal dam that had been declared as a sub-jail and others were released from the Adiyala Central Jail.

The detained leaders and activists were freed on the directives of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry who had taken a serious note of blockading of roads in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on the occasion of the filing of nomination papers for the presidential election and the detention of politicians.

The Supreme Court also ordered release of people arrested on the occasion of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s return to the country on Sept 10.

But after the court’s directive, Interior Ministry’s spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema said that the government could not release those who had been arrested for violating section 144.

There were criminal cases against political leaders and activists who had violated section 144 and cases had been filed against them under section 188 CrPC, he said.

However, Rawalpindi City Police Officer Saud Aziz said he would obey the Supreme Court orders, whatever the case might be, and all detainees would be released.

Thirty-nine opposition leaders and activists were released from the Adiyala Central Jail and 75 opposition activists from different police stations in Rawalpindi.

Sources said that about 100 activists had been released from other parts of the country.

The Chief Justice summoned Islamabad Chief Commissioner Hamid Ali Khan, Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali, Inspector-General of Police Syed Murawat Ali Shah, Rawalpindi City Police Officer Saud Aziz to the court and directed them to avoid the practice of blockading roads in future. CPO Saud Aziz ordered removal of all the roadblocks and containers.