LAHORE, April 29: The Labour Party has formed teams which will visit various polling stations, especially those set up in factories, to persuade people to boycott the referendum.

Party secretary general Farooq Tariq who along with 13 other activists, including three women, had been arrested for taking out a procession against the referendum on April 26, told a press conference after his release here on Monday that the government was giving them discriminatory attitude.

He said a case was registered against them under MPO 16 and CrPC but no such case was enlisted against the Jamaat-i-Islami and the lawyers who had brought out anti-referendum processions.

Mr Tariq claimed that police told them that the decision to register case against them was taken on the directions of higher authorities late night.

He said their arrest was a total negation of the army government’s claim that they were tolerating the opponents and allowing them to present their views before the public.

Appealing to the labourers community to boycott the referendum, he hoped that they would not support the rulers who executed not a single project for their welfare.

The rulers rather sacked 100,000 labours from various departments, banned trade union activities in 16 institutions, and was designating the employers hire and fire powers in the new labour policy, Mr Tariq added.

The Labour Party demanded withdrawal of the case registered against its leaders and lifting of ban on holding rallies on May Day.