LAHORE, April 21: Police thwarted the Jamaat-i-Islami’s bid to hold its proposed Lahore-Rawalpindi long march through the GT Road by arresting its top leadership, including Qazi Hussain Ahmed, and some activists from different city parts here on Sunday.

The Jamaat Amir was taken into “protective” custody from outside Mansoora soon after he, leading a procession of Jamaat activists, came out on the Multan Road.

He was taken to Muslim Town DSP office, where the DSP refused to brief reporters about the arrest orders.

The Amir of Jamaat was released in the afternoon but was put under house arrest until Monday morning.

A police contingent was deployed outside his Mansoora residence to implement the house arrest orders.

Naib Amir Liaquat Baloch and provincial secretary general Fareed Ahmed Piracha had been arrested from their houses in the early hours of Sunday. They were also released in the afternoon.

The Jamaat-i-Islami had planned, in case the government disallowed the long march, protest rallies at eight points — Mansoora, Scheme Morr, Yateem Khana Chowk, Morr Samanabad, Chauburji Chowk, Bhati Chowk, Azadi Chowk, and Shahdara — in the city.

Police took into custody 12 party activists from Morr Samanabad, 10 from Chauburji and three from Yateem Khana Chowk.