QUETTA: Police arrested Haji Rafiq Mengal, provincial leader of a faction of the banned Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), along with 16 other activists when he was leading a demonstration organised here on Wednesday to protest the killing of Malik Ishaq, chief of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, earlier in the day in a police encounter in Punjab.

Haji Rafiq, who had been a close associate of Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, the late founder of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, was expected to address a press conference at the Quetta Press Club and lead a demonstration outside the premises but heavy contingents of police deployed on Iqbal Road did not let him reach the venue.

Know more :Lashkar-i-Jhangvi chief Malik Ishaq, two sons killed in Muzaffargarh 'encounter'

He reached near the district courts along with activists of his group, among them 10 wearing shrouds.

Police and personnel of other law-enforcement agencies stopped them from going towards the press club and took Haji Rafiq and 16 others into custody.

SSP Abdul Waheed Khattak said the men had been arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order law.

The leader and activists of the ASWJ’s Malik Ishaq group did not resist the arrest, while other participants of the procession shouted slogans against the government and later dispersed.

Meanwhile, the administration beefed up security and deployed heavy contingents of police, Anti-Terrorism Force, Balochistan Constabulary and Frontier Corps at important and sensitive places in and around Quetta after the killing of Malik Ishaq and his two sons along with 12 other people.

Security was also enhanced in the Hazara Town and Alamdar Road areas. “Extra police and FC personnel have been deployed in these areas,” a police officer said about the predominantly Hazara localities.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play