FAISALABAD, Jan 13: A majority of arrested leaders and activists of banned religious outfits and militant groups across the Punjab belonged to the SSP and TJP.

In Faisalabad, 82 activists and leaders were arrested.

Offices of the Lashkar-i-Taiba at Millat Chowk and Madanpura and in Tandlianwala were sealed.

Similarly, the regional office of the Jaish-i-Muhammad in Afghanabad No 2 was also sealed.

Police also raided a dozen offices of the SSP and sealed its main office in Kutchery Bazaar, area office in Razaabad and Tandlianwala tehsil office on Bilal Shaheed Road. A library run by the SSP in Afghanabad was also closed while the office of a magazine was also locked.

Those arrested include Manzoor Ahmed, Abdul Rehman, Sharif, Nasrullah, Maulana Shabbir, Qari Mujahid Hussain, Moulvi Maqbool Sarwar, Qari Zahoor Chishti, Ghulam Sarwar Saqi, Qari Hafeez Ahmed, Anwarul Haq, Abdul Rasheed Majazi, Muhammad Sadiq, Alam Rasheed, Muhammad Ibrahim, Muhammad Ayub Sabir, Tayyab Ali Moaaz, Noor Hussain Farhandi, Qari Abdul Haleem, Muhammad Talha, Qari Muhammad Ramzan, Abdullah, Saifur Rehman, Amir Butt, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Ziaur Rehman of SSP while Ziaur Rehman, Faqir Muhammad, Syed Zubair Hussain, Jamaat Ali Shah, Zikria, Nabeel Hussain, Ali Hassan, Maulana Sharif Hussain, Ali Hyder Tirmizi, Hafiz Allah Wasaya, Qari Muhammad Yaseen, Hashim Ali, Altaf Hussain, Abdullah, Zia Hussain, Mukhtar Ahmed and Aslam Hussain of TJP. Dozens of activists and officeholders of militant groups — Lashkar-i-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad were also rounded up by the police.

SIALKOT:Sensitive agencies and police arrested 22 activists and sealed 14 offices of the banned religious and militant groups in the Sialkot district.

Those arrested are Syed Aamir Abbas Naqvi (TJP), Daska city; Shabbir Ali (TJP), Sambrial; Muneer Hussain Shah (TJP), Mallo Mehay; Nasir Ali (TJP), Talhara, Daska; Anwar Khan (SSP), Naanokey, Daska; Salman Muneer (SSP), Sambrial; Muhammad Riaz, Muhammad Akbar (Lashkar-i-Taiba), Kanwan Lit, Daska; Qari Abdul Rasheed Qadri SSP secretary-general, Pasrur; Maulana Muhammad Rafiq, SSP patron-in-chief, Sialkot district; Zulfiqar Ali Shah (TJP), Pasrur; Sapurde Ali (TJP), Sambrial; Muhammad Riaz Cheema, (LT) Bambanwala, Daska; Fazal Abbas Shah (TJP), Dharam Kot, Daska; Ghulam Abbas, TJP patron-in-chief and Tahir Abbas Virk (TJP) Naikapura, Sialkot.

MULTAN:The local police arrested 11 activists of the SSP and sealed four offices.

Those arrested are Rashid Ameen, Atiqur Rehman, Ghulam Fareed, Muhammad Aslam, Yaqoob, Muhammad Shahid, Khalid Ahmad, Bashir Ahmad, Sajid, Khalilur Rehman and Muhammad Taeeb.

Lashkar-i-Taiba’s office was sealed at Tareen Colony, Jaish-i-Muhammad’s at Hazoori Bagh Road, SSP’s at Sameejabad Colony and TJP’s office at Hussainabad.

BAHAWALPUR:Local police have arrested a number of activists and leaders of the banned religious parties and groups besides sealing their offices in various localities in the Bahawalpur district.

Police sources said that a number of SSP supporters were already under custody and their district president Rao Javed Iqbal was in the New Central Jail, Bahawalpur, on judicial remand.

JHANG:At least 30 leaders and workers of different religious organizations and groups were held from their offices and residences in the Jhang district.

Prominent arrested figures are TJP district president Sarfraz Hussain Sail advocate, Mukhtar Hussain, SSP district patron Maulana Ilyas Balakoti, Zulfiqar Jat and Muhammad Latif.

The district administration also sealed 18 offices of the defunct outfits in the district.

SARGODHA:As many as 30 persons belonging mainly to SSP have been rounded up in Sargodha.

Those held include former Sargodha division SSP president Fateh Muhammad, former SSP Sahiwal tehsil president Rana Iftikhar Ahmed, former SSP Sargodha district joint secretary Hafiz Muhammad Anwar and TJP’s Syed Bashir Hussain Bukhari.

SAHIWAL:Around 20 leaders and workers of different religious parties and groups were rounded up by the local police.

The seven arrested persons of the SSP were identified as Nazim of union council No 22 Ahmed Baghala, Hafiz Muhammad Ramzan, Maulana Muhammad Ashraf, Haji Muhammad Ashiq, Soofi Muhammad Azam, Qari Muhammad Nazir, Qari Muhammad Ramzan and Moulvi Altaf Ahmed.

The seven persons belonging to the TJP were Maulana Muhammad Hassan, Jauhar Hussain Zaidi, Khursheed Chauhan, Imtiaz Hussain Ja’afri, Saqlain Shah, Sheikh Nazir Ahmed and Momin Ali Fani.

The other arrested persons were Lashkar-i-Taiba’s Qari Muhammad Amjad, Hafiz Muhammad Shahzad Abuzar and Qari Muhammad Sharif, while Moulvi Muhammad Shafiq, Muhammad Shahzad and Qari Zahid Hussain belonged to Jaish-i-Muhammad.

The police also sealed madressah Aisha Siddiqa at Kot Farid Colony.

TOBA TEK SINGH:At least 28 SSP and TJP activists were arrested late Saturday night throughout the Toba district.

Offices of Jaish-i-Muhammad and Lashkar-i-Taiba were also sealed in seven different places of the district.

Meanwhile, five offices of Jaish-i-Muhammad at Toba, Kamalia, Pirmahal and Gojra and two offices of Lashkar-i-Taiba at Gojra and Toba were also sealed.

Opinion

Editorial

‘Source of terror’
Updated 29 Mar, 2024

‘Source of terror’

It is clear that going after militant groups inside Afghanistan unilaterally presents its own set of difficulties.
Chipping in
29 Mar, 2024

Chipping in

FEDERAL infrastructure development schemes are located in the provinces. Most such projects — for instance,...
Toxic emitters
29 Mar, 2024

Toxic emitters

IT is concerning to note that dozens of industries have been violating environmental laws in and around Islamabad....
Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...