ISLAMABAD, 24 September 2007 — Federal and provincial governments of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab yesterday continued their campaign of arresting activists and leaders of those opposition parties which have vowed to launch a countrywide movement against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s bid for re-election.
An opposition leader accused President Musharraf of trying to crush dissent after police held dozens of people who vowed to protest against the military ruler’s re-election. Security forces arrested dozens more activists in raids on their homes, while party officials said other opposition figures have gone underground to avoid being rounded up.
Acting president of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Javed Hashmi was sent to Adiala jail yesterday by the local police. Raja Zafarul Haq, chairman of PML (N) was placed under house arrest and also made incommunicado. All of his land line and cell phones were disconnected.
Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami Liaquat Baloch and Mian Aslam too were arrested from their residences. The other leaders held are Hafiz Hussain Ahmad and Mian Aslam of the pro-Taleban Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party. Party sources said they would also appeal against their detention. Ahmad was also forcibly taken by police from his residence and moved to an unknown location, Mian Azeem, a relative at his home told AFP.
“Policemen did not allow him to break his fast and broke apart the main entrance and window glass and sneaked him into a vehicle,” he said.
Later yesterday evening the police conducted raids at the residences of the top leadership of the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM).
From Rawalpindi Chaudhry Tanvir, Sardar Nasim and Dr. Kamal Farooq and others were detained.
In Peshawar, Zafar Iqbal Jhagra of the PML (N) addressed a press conference saying, “Musharraf administration is desperate and in a haste it is arresting opposition leaders.”
In the North West Frontier Province, however, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal government did not order arrests of APDM leaders.
The federal government opted Saturday to launch its swoop to prevent detained leaders from knocking on the doors of courts to get bail.
— With input from agencies
