KARACHI, Nov 20: The government released seven lawyers from the Central Prison on Tuesday in line with its announcement to free members of the legal fraternity and workers of opposition parties, leaving no lawyer arrested in several protests against emergency rule after November 3 behind bars.

Sources said the Sindh home department issued the release orders of the remaining lawyers, who were in jail custody for the last two weeks. They were received by senior members of the legal community outside the Central Prison.

“No member of our association is now in police custody,” said Abrarul Hasan, President of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, who spent almost 15 days in prison after his arrest on Nov 5.

He said the majority of lawyers were arrested while protesting against the government while some of them were picked up from their homes under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance after the imposition of emergency rule by President General Pervez Musharraf, acting as chief of the army staff.

An official at the Sindh home department confirmed the arrested members of the legal fraternity and some workers of the opposition parties had been released on orders from the government.

“However, some political workers who face charges like sedition and other serious cases would have to face the legal process,” he added, without giving details about those activists.

A senior leader of the Jamaat-i-Islami confirmed the release of party workers and said more were likely to be released in a day or two. Similarly, activists of the Pakistan People’s Party and Awami National Party had also been freed by the government after the federal authorities announced the release of all opponents following US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte’s demand for the release of political workers in a meeting with Gen Musharraf.

Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Abdul Quadir Halepota had on Monday, through an official handout, ordered the immediate release of lawyers and political workers “So that they could take part in preparations for the polls” and to create a conducive environment for the upcoming elections.