November 16, 2007	Friday	Ziqa’ad 05, 1428

LAHORE, Nov 15: Police arrested over 30 workers of the Pakistan People’s Party when they set off for a long march from Shahdara on Thursday afternoon.

The arrested men included its leader Samiullah Khan — an MPA from Lahore.

The workers started gathering at Shahdara around 1pm and proceeded towards Islamabad. They had hardly travelled two kilometers when the police, with added strength, caught them near a railway crossing after a short scuffle, shoving and fistfight.

After the arrest of Samiullah Khan, another local leader, Haji Abdur Rahman Chann, led the second procession that comprised district office-bearers and other workers. The rally succeeded to reach Gujranwala without further arrests.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Chann said the party leadership had instructed him to follow the first procession and avoid arrests to continue the march. The second procession escaped arrests as the police were busy transporting the arrested workers from the first procession.

He said he would lead the procession from Gujranwala to Islamabad on Saturday morning, or at a time instructed by the party leadership.

FRESH DETENTION ORDERS: The Home department issued fresh one-month detention orders of party’s 32 women leaders and activists who were sent to the houses of former PPP leader Main Misbahur Rehman and Begum Beelam Hussain after declaring them as sub-jails.

PPP central leader Naveed Chaudhry told Dawn that earlier the bail of 22 women was accepted by anti-terrorism courts on Thursday, but the surety bonds could not be submitted. Later, their detention was extended up to one month.

Meanwhile, PPP vice chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani, former provincial president Qasim Zia and sitting president Shah Mehmood Qureshi have been already been facing house arrest in Lahore after the government declared their houses as sub-jails.

PPP LEADERS: Three important PPP leaders are also under ‘illegal detention’ at Senator Latif Khosa’s residence along with party chairperson Ms Bhutto.

PPP central information secretary Sherry Rehman, Senator Safdar Abbasi and Ms Bhutto’s political secretary Naheed Khan complained that the police were not allowing them to leave the house.

The operations police chief of Lahore however says they are free to move.

Ms Bhutto is under seven-day house arrest after the government declared Senator Khosa’s house as sub-jail for her.

SSP (operations) Aftaab Ahmed Cheema had earlier told newsmen outside Khosa’s house on Nov 13 that following the federal government’s orders, no CEC member of the party would be arrested as they were exempt from arrests and movement restrictions.

The three leaders were not allowed to leave the house on Nov 12 by the police in an attempt to stop them from leading the long march. The PPP terms the arrest illegal since no detention orders has been served on the three.

Cheema, however, said that neither they were detained nor facing any restriction.

“They are living in Mr Khosa’s house according to their own will and can enter or leave the house freely,” he said.

Police sources told Dawn that Sherry Rehman left Khosa’s residence on Thursday for some time and returned. Similarly, Senator Latif Khosa left his house for three hours on his car the same day, they claimed.

“A log register is being maintained by the police about the arrival and departure of visitors to Khosa’s house,” the sources further said.

DEPLOYMENT: Around 650 police personnel, including officers, are the part of police deployment in and around Mr Khosa’s X-Block, Defence, a capital city police official told Dawn.

He said the deployment was increased from 255 on Nov 12 to more than 1,000 on Nov 13 to maintain law and order. On Nov 14, the deployment was brought down to 650.

Around 20 jail officials headed by two deputy superintendents are also there in the house besides 20 body guards of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.