FAISALABAD, Oct 1: National Highway Authority’s M-3 project General Manager Muhammad Aurangzeb was arrested on Wednesday by police at a meeting for allegedly using “filthy language and chastising the officials in a drunk state.”

The meeting was arranged at the circuit house to review preparations for President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s visit to inaugurate M-3 (motorway) from Faisalabad to Pindi Bhattian today (Thursday).

During the briefing, police said, Mr Aurangzeb stood up on his seat and started shouting at the participants, including high-ranking officials of the district administration and intelligence agencies.

He also alleged to have used objectionable words against the police and armed forces, and was repeatedly asked to maintain the decorum of the gathering. However, police said the project in-charge, who was in a trance-like state, was arrested when he misbehaved with the NHA chairman and officials of the intelligence agencies.

The police high-ups handed him to a team of police commandos and also called area SHO and DSP to get his medical examination conducted. Later, he was jailed at the Civil Lines police station. The medical examination report is expected today.

Police also registered a case against him.

Sources told this correspondent that Mr Aurangzeb, who had some reservations about the project, was picked up at 3:30am (between Tuesday and Wednesday). However, the police had showed his arrest at the meeting. He was bailed out on late Wednesday night, they added.

When contacted, Mr Aurangzeb and the NHA chairman, Maj-Gen Farrukh Javed (retired), declined comments on the situation.