ISLAMABAD, March 26: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto has condemned the arrest of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) workers in the country in connection with the protest demonstrations against “assault on the independence of judiciary.”

Scores of ARD activists were arrested in Rawalpindi, Multan, Lahore, Khanewal, Sahiwal and other cities ahead of the ARD call to hold protest demonstrations at divisional level against the sacking of the chief justice of Pakistan and in solidarity with the bar.

Those arrested included Fakhar Imam in Multan; Mukhtar Awan, Salahuddin Dogar, Ahmad Hasan Daher, Khwaja Rizwan, Sajida Mir in Lahore; Khalid Bobi, Sardar Shaukat Hayat, Iqbal Razaq Butt, Malik Mazhar Husain and Qazi Sultan Mahmood in Rawalpindi besides scores of activists.

The activists were whisked away by security agencies and detained at undisclosed locations.

In a statement on Monday, Ms Bhutto said staging of peaceful demonstrations against the sacking of the chief justice was a democratic right and the arrest of workers ahead of exercising their democratic right was condemnable. She called for the immediate release of all those arrested.

Earlier also, the police in Gujranwala arrested and instituted criminal cases against a number of party activists on the eve of Gen Musharraf’s visit. The party activists including members of the People’s Lawyers Forum were demanding release of the non- functional chief justice from ‘house arrest’, she said.

Ms Bhutto urged the judiciary to take suo motu notice and order release of those arrested in violation of their human rights and right to peaceful assembly and protest.