Over 200 Journalists Booked for Rally in Islamabad  
'Pakistan Times' Wire Service

ISLAMABAD: Police have registered a case against journalists after a torch-bearing procession for freedom of press and anti-government speeches in front of the prime minister secretariat.

The secretariat police have registered the case against the journalists for violation of article 144.

The participants of the rally breaking the barriers occupied the gate of the prime minister secretariat and used scathing language against the government, the FIR said.

The case has been registered against 200 newsmen including Mazhar Abbas, Fauzia Shahid, C.R. Shamsi, Afzal Butt, Mushtaq Minhas, Tariq Usmani, Talat Hussain and others.

Besides, Muslim League (N) leader Ahsan Iqbal, minorities leader J. Salik and civil society’s Jehangir Akhtar have been booked under charges of instigating the rally.

The FIR has been sealed after registration of the case.

Hundreds Caged in Punjab

And a report from Lahore says that the Punjab police and across the country in a sudden extensive crackdown have arrested hundreds of workers of different political and religious parties, while the police and the administration were evading giving reasons for the arrests.

Raids all over Punjab since previous night were being conducted on the houses of the workers and the leaders of the opposition parties for their arrest and hundreds of workers have thus far been arrested.

According to the information received, among those arrested included 28 from Gojranawala, 10 from Rawalpindi, 9 from Attock, 8 from Chakwal, 14 from Multan, 4 from Faisalabad, 5 from Vehari, 2 from Arifwala, 3 from Sargodha, 9 from Carorepacca, 10 from Khanewal and 2 from Jhelum.

People’s Party has claimed over 50 of its workers arrested in Lahore, while the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, District Lahore’s president, Malik Bashir Ahmad Nizami, Labour Party leader, Faruque Tariq were arrested from their residences. Jamaat-e-Islami District Amir, Abdul Wahid Chaudhry from Qasur have also been arrested.

Referring to these arrests, political leaders told that this crackdown has been launched to preempt likely protest demonstrations and reactions against the curbs clamped on media and the judicial crisis, while the observers have termed this crackdown a prelude to any major change.●