LAHORE, Jan 28: Amid allegations of arrest of thousands of activists across Punjab, the MMA vows to continue its protest against mixed marathon being held here on Sunday (today).

Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, MMA Deputy Secretary-General Liaquat Baloch revealed that at least 2,000 leaders and workers had so far been taken into custody from Lahore, who were being sent to far-off jails in the province.

They included central information secretary Pir Ijaz Hashmi, Riaz Durrani, Bashir Nizami, Legal Aid Committee chief Abdur Rehman Ansari and UC nazim Naveed Sadiq.

Hundreds others had been picked up in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Kasur, Okara, Multan, Sahiwal and other districts, he said, but affirmed that they would not be provoked by the arrests.

Demanding that the government should make arrangements for the women runners within the bounds of the Qadhafi Stadium, he said the alliance would ‘peacefully’ protest against the event if its demand was not accepted. He also urged the chief justice of Pakistan to take suo moto notice of the mixed marathon like the ban of the killing sport of kite flying.