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Hundreds held as Pak protests go on
 Police on Friday arrested hundreds of activists of opposition parties and religious organisations, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA Khwaja Saad Rafique, as protests against caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (The PML-N officials said both were arrested on charges of instigating a mob during a violent rally in Lahore on February 14. Islamabad SSP Sikander Hayat also denied the arrests, saying he had not been contacted by Rawalpindi Police for assistance to arrest a member of the National Assembly. Sources said about 300 senior workers of the ARD and MMA had been arrested in Lahore alone in the last 24 hours. They said several hundreds were arrested in other Punjab cities and police were still raiding locations to arrest people allegedly involved in instigating the protesters in Lahore. Jamaat ud-Daawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was detained at his house. Hafiz Saeed has been detained at his Johar Town residence and a heavy contingent of police has surrounded his house and is not allowing him to come out even for the Friday sermon, Jamaatu Daawa Information Secretary Habibullah Salfi told Daily Times. He said Saeed was due to address a conference in Faisalabad. Jamiat Mushaikh Pakistan President Pir Fazale Haq has also been arrested. PPP Punjab spokesman Naveed Chaudhry claimed that more than 600 workers of his party had been arrested in Lahore, Faisalabad and other cities. He warned of a massive protest against the government if opposition workers were not released in 24 hours. Protests continued on Friday throughout the country. About 44 protesters, including a union council nazim, were held in Sheikhupura for looting, aerial firing and damaging public and private property during a protest. Police tear-gassed and baton charged thousands of protesters in Kasur. In Karachi, police arrested 70 after firing tear gas to disperse about 2,000 people who had blocked the Super Highway. About 7,000 people protested in Rawalpindi. Police detained about 35 members of the Shabab-e-Milli who tried to stage a violent rally in Multan. About 1,000 demonstrated in Peshawar and thousands gathered in Quetta in a peaceful rally. Posted by: Fred 2006-02-18 |
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