RAWALPINDI, Oct 18: Government is likely to launch a country-wide crackdown against religious parties to pacify their protests over its decision to support the US-led allied forces in the campaign against terrorism, official sources told Dawn here on Thursday.

The official sources said the military authorities have been assigned the task of collecting reports of protests organized by the religious parties all over the country.

The sources believe that the action is continuation of the government’s decision to have a case against JUI chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman on sedition charges and placing two other prominent clerics under house arrest.

The information being sought by the authorities includes: the organisers of the protest demonstration, the number of people who participated in them, the leaders who addressed the gatherings, the damage to the property caused by the protesters, the items used by the protesters and loss of life or any other casualty, the source said.

“The text of the speeches of leaders who addressed the gatherings and even the details of old tires set on fire by protesters and slogans raised against the government are being sent to the military authorities,” the source said.

In Rawalpindi district, four such cases have been registered with the local police. Two cases were registered with the Waris Khan police.