LAHORE, March 15: The Jamhoori Group in the Lahore district council has demanded registration of a criminal case against District Nazim Mian Amer, naib nazim Idrees Hanif and several other treasury members for ‘torturing’ opposition members in Saturday’s sitting of the house.

The group, comprising the PPP, the PML-N and the Jamaat-i-Islami, had been formed in 2001 local polls to adopt a joint strategy in the Lahore council.

Akbar Khan, opposition leader in the house, told a press conference on Saturday that they were seeking adjournment of the house for a lack of quorum when treasury members with the help of several outsiders allegedly used abusive language against women members and manhandled and tortured their male counterparts.

Flanked by Lahore chiefs of the PPP, the PML-N and Jamaat, Azizur Rahman Chan, Mian Marghoob and Salman Butt, respectively, Mr Khan alleged that Ikhlaq Guddu had brought several ruffians as fake members of the house to complete the quorum.

When pointed out to the chair, Idrees Hanif, that there were outsiders in the house who should be shunted out, the chair replied that as it was a public house and he could not do anything in this respect. In the meantime, the hooligans attacked the opposition, he added.Jamhoori Group leaders alleged that it was a pre-planned incident executed as part of the presidency's attempts to create chaos in the country for delaying transfer of power.

They said a written application for registration of a criminal case against the suspects had been submitted with the police which should act in accordance with the law. They threatened to come on roads if the wrongdoers were let off the hook. They also said the higher command of the group's components would be consulted for tabling a no-trust motion against Mian Amer and several town nazims as they had the required strength.—Staff Reporter