LAHORE: The PML-N Lawyers Forum has approached the Lahore High Court against the arrest of party workers ahead of the arrival of Nawaz Sharif.

The forum through its Pakistan-chapter president Naseer Ahmad Bhutta filed a petition pleading that the caretaker Punjab government and the police have arrested a large number of PML-N workers and detained them illegally.

Mr Bhutta submited that the inspector general of police, despite repeated attempts, refused to disclose any information regarding the whereabouts of the arrested workers. He alleged the police had been threatening the families of arrested workers with dire consequences in case they approached the court.

He submited that the workers had been arrested without any reason and in blatant disregard of the law. He argued that the arrest of party workers by the caretaker administration was illegal, discriminatory and a violation of fundamental rights. He stated that allowing the caretaker government and the police to continue with their atrocious acts would amount to the province as being most unsafe territory.

Advocate Bhutta asked the court to order the police to release the arrested workers and stop causing harassment to their families.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2018