SAHIWAL, May 9: The Punjab government has barred the political detainees from meeting their relatives and friends. The ban came to light when local PML-N president Malak Nadeem Kamran and former federal minister Muhammad Zaman of Okara went to the central jail to see a party MPA and were shown the orders of the Punjab Home Department.

Reports said three days back the Okara police arrested Mian Yawar Zaman and sent him to the central jail for two-month long detention. His father Mian Zaman and Malak Nadeem Kamran applied to the jail authorities for a meeting with Yawar.

On Saturday, the visitors were shown the orders regarding the ban issued by the home secretary. Meanwhile, the district police continued raids at the houses of the PML-N activists. None could be arrested as they were not at their homes.

JI LEADER: The MMA is not apprehensive of the arrival of Mian Shahbaz Sharif as it supports the return of former prime ministers Mian Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto to join the mainstream politics in the best interest of democracy.

This was said by Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) general secretary Syed Munawar Hassan while talking to newsmen at Harappa, near here, on Sunday. Terming the Karachi incident a failure of the government in maintaining peace in the country, he demanded dismissal of the Sindh government and a probe by a high court judge.

DACOITIES: Dacoits on Saturday night looted valuables amounting to Rs1.59 million in four hits here. Three robbers took away a mini-truck (JK-6308) from its driver Muhammad Ismail near Chak 119/9-L on the Sahiwal-Arifwala road.

Four bandits made off with a tractor from its owner Haji Muhammad Yusaf near Chak 28/14-L. In another incident, dacoits entered a cotton factory in Chak 15/11-L and looted a cash of Rs0.49 million after injuring manager Mushtaq, factory workers Amir, Ashiq and Malak Rehmat.

The injured are in a serious condition at hospital. Eight men took away cattle worth Rs200,000 in village Dodha Sahoo, near Harappa.

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