GUJRAT, Feb 11: Police on Monday booked People’s Party candidate for NA-105 and PP-111 Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar and candidate for PP-110 Chaudhry Nasir Samman along with 60 activists under the Maintenance of Public Order.

According to police sources, three PPP activists were arrested on Saturday for firing in the air during a public meeting of Mr Mukhtar, who is contesting against PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, in Jheranwali, a village some 13km from Gujrat.

On Sunday night, police came to the village and faced resistance from PPP workers. PPP sources said that Mr Mukhtar, who was presiding over an election gathering in a nearby village, cut short his meeting and rushed to the place with other activists where workers were confronting the policemen. Police accused Mr Mukhtar of taking policemen hostage and freeing the arrested activists.

The PPP workers blocked the road for about two hours and chanted slogans against police for registering cases against them. Kunjah police SHO Altaf Gondal left the place with his colleagues after he was asked by DPO Mahmoodul Hasan Qureshi to avoid escalating the situation.

Mr Mukhtar said he had not taken any policeman hostage. Instead, he and his workers had gone there to stop policemen who had been pulling down PPP banners and assaulting the workers.

The police later registered an FIR.—Correspondent