LAHORE, Dec 27: Is the PML-N’s Punjab government pondering to ‘detain’ Dr Tahirul Qadri ahead of his long march call on Jan 14? That is the impression being taken by many from Law Minister Rana Sanaullah’s warning outside the Punjab Assembly here on Thursday.

“An instruction has been issued to the Excise Department to arrest Tahirul Qadri if he again uses the vehicle with fake number,” Sanuallah said.

“Qadri is using vehicles bearing fake numbers and the excise force can arrest him for doing it again.”

Dr Qadri’s Tehrik Mihajul Quran interprets the law minister’s warning as ‘nervousness’ of the PML-N government ahead of its long march on Islamabad on Jan 14.

“We ask Sanaullah not to try to intimidate Qadri sahib. There will be a long march starting on Jan 13 from across the country which will reach Islamabad on Jan 14 and there will be no compromise on it,” TMQ central information secretary Qazi Faiz told Dawn.

He chided the Punjab government for ‘maligning’ Dr Qadri on fake number vehicles.

“The police had made all security arrangements of Dr Qadri’s public meeting at Minar-i-Pakistan on Dec 23. The law minister instead of doing false propaganda against Qadri sahib should better ask the IGP about this,” Mr Faiz said.

Sanaullah is of the view that Tahirul Qadri’s long march call will remain a call only. “There will no long march and it will meet a failure,” he said, adding the establishment wanted a coalition government in the future.