RAWALPINDI, Feb 23: Some 217 people arrested during last Sunday’s anti-cartoon protest in the city were released on bail on Wednesday. However, PPP MNA Zamurrad Khan, who was detained for one month along with Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s MNA Hanif Abbasi, was released on Thursday after his detention order was withdrawn by the authorities.

Besides Mr Zamurrad, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz parliamentarians, also arrested in connection with the protest, were released from Adiala Jail on Thursday. They were PML-N General-Secretary Sardar Naseem, Hafiz Farooq Khattak, MPA Chaudhry Iyaz, and MPA Malik Ibrar.

The protest called by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal was also joined by other opposition parties in the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy. The one-month detention orders for Zamurrad Khan and Hanif Abbasi were issued by the provincial government.