LAHORE: More than 50 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) detained in Kot Lakhpat Jail could not be released despite bail orders by a local court on Monday as the Gulberg police did not provide arrest record to the jail authorities on time.

Also, the Lahore police continued raiding PTI leaders’ houses, including Ali Rasheed’s house in Ichhra. An FIR was also lodged against Mr Rasheed by the Township police.

Mr Rasheed says station house officers of Ichhra and Township police unleashed vengeance against him and he would approach courts for the quashing of the FIR. He alleged police were victimising him on the orders of the Punjab government but he was not afraid of such unlawful acts.

PTI Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry warned the Punjab police that it should not act like the personal servants of the Sharif family.

The PTI leadership had earlier announced that party leaders would give a due welcome to the workers and supporters at the time of their release from the Kot Lakhpat Jail. However, workers could not be released due to non-production of police record to the jail staff. The arrested workers may now be release on Tuesday (today).

PTI central joint secretary Shabbir Sial claimed hundreds of party workers and supporters were arrested by the Punjab police but it did not produce them before the courts. The party leadership itself was trying to locate the workers and get them released. He asserted that the PTI would not tolerate excesses committed against its workers.

He said the PML-N had made Punjab a hub of state terrorism against the citizens as the PML-N and Punjab police had violated court orders.

Deputy Inspector General Dr Haider Ashraf said no PTI or PAT worker was arrested on Monday. He said all those arrested earlier were produced before the courts.

BAIL: A judicial magistrate of Model Town Courts on Monday granted bail to 34 PTI workers arrested for being involved in violent activities.

Advocate Gohar Sindhu defended the PTI workers and argued that they never resorted to violence but held a peaceful protest. He said police arrested the party workers to restrain them from participating in a sit-in in Islamabad.

However, a deputy prosecutor told the court that the arrested workers were involved in attacking police personnel and creating a law and order situation.

Magistrate Imtiaz Noor allowed bail to the workers against furnishing of surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.

The magistrate also sent 29 other workers to jail on judicial remand and issued notices to prosecution on their bail petitions.

Published in Dawn, September 16th , 2014