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LAHORE, Nov 13: Police on Tuesday arrested hundreds of People’s Party leaders, legislators, office-bearers and activists, including women, who wanted to assemble in Defence X-Block to join the “Long March”.
According to party officials, the police arrested around 450 activists from Defence and its surrounding areas besides other parts of the city. However, the police admitted rounding up more than 100 people.
Among the detained were PPP vice-chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani, Sardar Asif Ahmed Ali, MPAs Qasim Zia, Mirza Afzaal, Dr Fakharuddin, Chaudhry Ashraf, Sohail Malik, Muzaffargarh district nazim Qayyum Jatoi, DG Khan divisional president Sarwer Abbas, Jam Sher Dasti, Ejaz Gill, Hur Bokhari, federal council member Nisar Razi and others.
The arrested women included MNAs Beelam Hussain and Naseem, MPAs Farzana Raja, Azma Zahid Bokhari, Faiza Malik, Saghera Islam and Talat Yaqoob.
Police said around 150 activists, including women, were arrested from in and around X-Block who tried to reach Senator Lateef Khosa’s residence.
According to witnesses, at around 9am, party workers started appearing in groups of six to eight people to join the long march, but they were arrested and driven away to different police stations.
The practice continued till 3pm as smaller groups comprising men and women kept on appearing on crossings to be soon nabbed by police.
A capital city police official, talking to Dawn, confirmed detention of leaders and activists, adding their fate would be decide later by the government.
Police closed all entry points and parallel roads to Khosa’ house within a kilometer radius by erecting barricades, parking tractor-trolleys and trucks carrying building material.
Police pickets were also set up at Fountain 1 Chowk, Gulberg, Cavalry Ground Chowk, Ghora Chowk, Defence Morr and on Ghazi Road.
“I passed three police pickets starting from Fountain 1 to reach the Rasheed Hospital in Defence but there was no traffic jam at around 1pm,” commuter Asghar Khan said.
SSP (operations) Aftaab Ahmed Cheema, Chief Traffic Officer Ghulam Mehmood Dogar and other police officials have been most of the time since Monday night on the spot to handle the law and order situation and traffic.
CAR BURNT: Two PPP activists, who appeared on Ghazi Road near PPP Senator Latif Khosa’s residence in protest against the arrests, parked their car (LRS-6871) in the middle of road, collected some used tyres and tried to burn them.
“The fire suddenly engulfed the vehicle,” an eye witness said.
The police later arrested both protesters identified as Yasir and Ali, residents of Ali View Housing Society and PPP workers.
BOOKED: Lahore police booked hundreds of PPP leaders, legislators, office-bearers and activists under sections 188, 186, 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 16 Maintenance of Public Order and section 7 of Anti terrorism Act.
“All people who were earlier detained by the police in the day have been nominated in different FIRs lodged in police stations of Factory Area, Defence, Kahna and Shahdra,” a senior police official told Dawn.
He said the detainees had been lodged in different police stations after their arrest.
A case was also registered in North Cantonment police station against 33 arrested women activists.
About the removal of force from X-Block (Defence), the official said only those personnel who were deployed for law and order duties had been sent back.
