MANDI BAHAUDDIN, Feb 12: Religio-political party leaders on Sunday expressed concern over turmoil at the railway station, blaming the police for making inadequate security arrangements.

Speaking at a press conference at the JI office, MMA Punjab secretary Allama Syed Muhammad Mehfooz Mashhadi, JI central leader Allama Inayatullah, union council nazim Ijaz Ahmad and others said the protesters gathered on the call of the Anjuman-i-Tajran and it was police who initiated assault on them by pelting them with stones and used teargas.

They said the strike refreshed the memories of the Tehrik-i-Nizam-i-Mustafa of 1977. They blasted the police for trespassing on the houses of innocent people and arresting them. They sought immediate release of the citizens and vowed to continue peaceful protests.

Meanwhile, the city police booked 180 people for damaging public property and violating the section 144 CrPC. Raids were continued the whole night for the arrest of the protesters. Hundreds of other protesters were booked by the railway police.

The protest, however, continued as a rally was taken out at Mauza Mong. The participants torn the flag of Denmark and set fire to the US president’s effigy.