ISLAMABAD, June 11: Leaders of the National Workers Party (NWP) and the People’s Rights Movement (PRM) have condemned the detention of Labour Party Pakistan (LPP) General Secretary Farooq Tariq.

The NWP Rawalpindi chapter leaders — Masoodul Hasan, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, Dr Javed Satti, Hafiz Habib Arif, Chaudhry Akhtar Mahmood and Jamil Bhatti — and PRM leader Asim Sajjad Akhtar in separate statements issued here on Monday criticised the Punjab government for detaining Mr Farooq for three months and sending him to Bahawalpur jail.

They said the rulers had become desperate to cling to power and intimidate all those who were voicing against the military dictatorship and fighting for the restoration of democracy and sovereignty of the parliament.

The LPP general-secretary was arrested on June 5 from his residence in Lahore under section 16 Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and sent to Bahawalpur Jail.

“Farooq Tariq’s detention is a part of recent state repression on political activists and workers in the backdrop of lawyers and media movement against the Musharraf regime.

Throughout the country hundreds of political workers have been arrested while cases have been lodged against thousands others.