PESHAWAR, Jan 18: In the ongoing crackdown on extremist elements, the law enforcement agencies have arrested 1,957 workers of the five banned religious organizations and sealed 443 offices throughout the country, sources in Police Department informed Dawn here on Friday.

According to the sources during the last one week the police in collaboration with other agencies arrested 735 extremists in Punjab, 852 in Sindh, 337 in NWFP, 15 in Balochistan and 18 in Islamabad.

Besides, 443 offices of the banned organizations were sealed in the four provinces and the capital territory. In Punjab 336 offices were sealed, in Sindh 18, in NWFP 81, in Balochistan 15 and in Islamabad 3. The sources said that the government had directed to the concerned agencies to continue operation against militant and sectarian groups to achieve the desired goals.

President Pervez Musharraf in his address to the nation placed ban on Jaish-i-Mohammad, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, Tehrik-i-Jafria Pakistan and Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi and Sunni Tehrik was put under observation.

The official sources said that the government had so far exempted other Jihadi organizations including Hizbul Mujahideen and Al-Bader from the imposition of sanctions.

Relatives of some detainees complained that police hauled up those people under 16 MPO who had disassociated themselves from these organizations several years ago. They alleged the police and other agencies were victimizing innocent people.