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FAISALABAD, Jan 16: Law enforcement agencies have been directed to round up religious leaders and activists of all bodies involved in provoking people against the government.
Sources told Dawn here on Wednesday that instructions had been issued after a call of the Pak-Afghan Defence Council to observe Friday as a black day against the government decision of banning five religious parties and groups.
They said the drive to arrest leaders and workers of Jamaat-i-Islami, Jamiat Ulma-i-Islam and other religious parties who had announced protest movement against the government would soon be launched.
All district police officers had also been directed to initiate “solid steps” for the maintenance of law and order situation in their respective areas, they said. Strict action, they said, had also been recommended against the officials who failed to check rallies on Jan 18.
Meanwhile, the local police on Tuesday night booked JUI central leader Zahid Mehmood Qasmi for delivering a provocative speech. Police raided his house, but failed to arrest him when he produced bail orders.
TOBA TEK SINGH: Over 30 activists of the banned outfits have so far been arrested, district police chief Amer Zulfiqar said on Wednesday.
He said that two of the arrested people have been released. The name of Tehrik Jafria leader advocate Syed Murad Ali Shah Bukhari was inadvertently included in the list of wanted men and Imamia Students Organization leader Rana Zaheer Abbas was to appear in an examination.
He said the crackdown would continue till the arrest of all wanted people.
He said that under the directives of provincial high-ups, loudspeakers could only be used to deliver khutba-i-Juma in Arabic, Aazan and announcements for lost children and deaths.
BAHAWALPUR: The local police is raiding several places to arrest at least 40 more activists of the banned religious outfits.
Acting SP Maqbool Ahmad told Dawn here on Wednesday that most of them had gone underground and police were trying to locate their hideouts.
He said there was not a single prominent leader among those arrested earlier.
Meanwhile, local banks have started freezing the accounts of the activists on the instructions of the government.
