GUJRAT, Sept 18: Police during its crackdown on Wajahat Force arrested 20 activists on Thursday and registered a case against 162 people, including PML-Q MNA Chaudhry Wajahat Husain, the younger brother of Shujaat Husain.

However, PML-Q claimed that around 200 party workers had so far been arrested. A police handout said Saddar police stopped motorcyclist Mehar Abbas of Mero Chak at a picket and found a computer CD from him during a search. The CD contained designs of visiting cards of 162 members and office-bearers of Wajahat Force and the picture of Wajahat Husain, the alleged commander of the organisation, was pasted on the cards.

Police said according to section 153-A of Cr PC, neither any body could set up a private force nor anyone could be a part of it.

Police said an FIR No 430 under section 153-A of CrPC had been filed against 162 activists of Wajahat Force while 20 people, including Shahbaz Khan, Malik Yasin Awan, Shahbaz alias Moon, Waheed Shahid, Imran Haider, Qaisar Mehmood, Muhammad Boota and Mehar Abbas were arrested.

Meanwhile addressing a news conference at Zahoor Elahi house, Gujrat tehsil nazim Saadat Nawaz Ajnala and Wajahat Husain’s private secretary Hameedullah Bhatti said the force was not a criminal organisation rather it was a welfare body set up by the PML-Q workers and it had been abolished ahead of the Feb 18 elections.

They said the police on the orders of the Punjab chief minister launched an operation against the supporters of Chaudhrys to politically victimise them. They claimed that around 200 PML-Q workers had so far been arrested in different fake cases through the district.

On the other hand, a Gujrat police spokesman in a written statement refuted the allegations of political victimisation and said that the police did not want to indulge in politics and would continue its duty against criminals.

Sources said the police did not arrest any main office-bearer or leader of the force in its crackdown as the second and third tiers of the force could be held.