LAHORE: As lawyers and opposition parties prepared to accord an enthusiastic welcome to Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry here on Saturday, police picked up over 1,000 political activists in different parts of the province in an attempt to foil the reception.

Besides Lahore, most of the arrests were made in Gujranwala, Gujrat and other districts along the GT Road, the route the chief justice plans to take from Islamabad with his supporters.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League will hold a rally in support of the presidential reference against the chief justice and against the elements which it thinks are out to pressure the Supreme Judicial Council. Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi held meetings with various party leaders and nazims on Friday to discuss arrangements for the rally. He also hosted a dinner at Bagh-i-Jinnah where all important leaders, ministers and nazims of the ruling party were present.

Leaders of the parties in the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf have directed their supporters to reach the designated places in large numbers to receive the chief justice.

Punjab home department sources told Dawn that around 400 activists had been picked up in Lahore.

About 250 activists and their relatives area reported to have been arrested in Gujranwala, 300 in Gujrat, 200 in Sheikhupura, 67 in Sialkot, 60 in Sargodha and 40 in Mandi Bahaudin.A torch-bearing rally of lawyers was baton charged by police in Sahiwal. The police action caused a stampede and a fire which burnt two cars and injured 21 lawyers.

“It is state terrorism,” said Punjab People’s Party Parliamentarians general secretary Ghulam Abbas, claiming that police had picked up thousands of PPP activists. The PML (Nawaz)and the MMA also made similar claims.

Lahore police chief Malik Mohammad Iqbal said over 5,000 personnel of the force, including commandos and men in civvies, would be on road. Police would also set up pickets at all entry points of the city, he added.

A police official said scanners would be installed around the venue of the reception and people going there would have to pass through security checks.