GUJRAT: Eight more activists of sectarian and banned outfits have been detained by the district administration in the Gujrat district jail for three months under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), taking the number of such detainees to 15.

A senior government official in Gujrat told Dawn on Tuesday the detentions had made to implement the National Action Plan against terrorism. A former senior vice president of Gujrat Chamber of Commerce and Industry and seven others, mostly belonging to Kharian and Sara-i-Alamgir tehsils, are among the fresh detentions.

Official sources in the local administration and law enforcement agencies say more such detentions of the local leaders of some sectarian outfits, who have been known for delivering hate speeches against the rival sects, can be detained in the coming days as the agencies have consistently been monitoring them.

The district administration has prepared three different lists of those to be included in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, those who are to be detained under the MPO and of those who are acting as facilitators and financers of the banned outfits in Gujrat and of those who will be booked under the ATA sections.

PTI DEMO: Activists of the Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) held demonstration against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain for making, what the PTI termed, derogatory remarks against the women participants of Islamabad sit-in.

The demonstration, led by PTI youth wing district president Faizan Khalid Butt and Shammaz Hassan, started from Hassan Chowk, marched on the Bhimbher Road and culminated at the press club. Chanting slogans against the MQM leader, the participants were also carrying the banners and placards inscribed with their demands.

The protesters burnt an effigy of Altaf Hussain and demanded strict action against the criminals involved in burning Baldia Town factory and target killings in Karachi.

Published in Dawn February 11th , 2015

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