FAISALABAD, Nov 12: Now, a Pakistan Muslim League’s membership form can grant detained political workers and lawyers release if they fill it out. The ruling party has offered political workers and lawyers detained in post-emergency rule crackdowns to join the PML and go wherever they want, Dawn has learnt.

Sources said ministers and other ruling party officials had contacted those detained in police stations convincing them to join the ruling party. PML leaders approach the detained people and offer them PML membership.

Up to three dozens workers and lawyers have benefited from the “facility”, according to a person who also was recently released from the Thekariwala police station.

Sources say ministers have asked senior police officials to release those being recommended by ruling party office bearers.

Police detained nearly 380 political leaders and activists after the imposition of emergency rule in the country. At least 200 of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers and lawyers were arrested in a first crackdown and 180 in another. The action was named ‘secret operation’.

A union council nazim, detained in Bahlak police station, said ruling party office bearers had offered him an immediate release if he filled the PML membership.

He said they warned him that his refusal could land him at the District Jail in Sahiwal.

A police officer, wishing not to be named, said it was true that people had been released but those were arrested “mistakenly”. He dispelled the impression that detained people were released on the directions of ruling party members.

Deputy opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Rana Sanaullah told Dawn the government was employing negative tactics to force PML-N’s workers to ditch the party.

He said despite ruling the country for eight years, the government could not gain grounds, and forced memberships were the conspicuous example of its popularity.