MULTAN, March 11: More than 300 activists of opposition parties were arrested in different Punjab districts in a pre-dawn crackdown on Wednesday. Police ended up arresting only second line leadership as prominent leaders have gone underground.

Police cracked down on the opposition to thwart lawyers and opposition parties’ long march on Islamabad.

In Multan, 60 activists of various parties were arrested. Among the arrested include Maroof Tariq, Ahmad Khan Baloch, Sabir Cheema, Sabir Awan, Sajid Awan, Allama Inayatullah Rehmani, Khalid Mahmood and Nadeem. Regional Police Officer Akhtar Hasan Gurchani said police were not raiding the houses of political workers.

GUJRAT:

Police arrested Mehar Imtiaz, Gulzar Qureshi, Anees Bhatti, Asim Butt, Faisal Butt and Zahid Butt and shifted them to different police stations.

BAHAWALPUR:

After a number of raids, police could arrest only PML-N leader Zafar Iqbal Ramay, of Uch Sharif, Haji Kazim Husain, of Harunabad, and two servants of Malik Iqbal Channar.

Sources say dozens of PML-N workers were arrested in Hasilpur.

RPO Malik Khuda Buksh Awan said the “wanted” people had already left Bahawalpur.

VEHARI:

Those who have been arrested are: Murtaza Dogar, Kashif Munawwar, Hafiz Noor, Yaqub Kharal, Chaudhry Ashraf, Ali Hasan Gujar, Rao Luqman, Abdul Karim, Abdul Hameed, Ali Waqas Hinjra and Ahad Sharif.

A local PML-N leader claimed police officials had informed them about the raids and asked them to flee.

KHANEWAL:

Police arrested Dr Shafiqur Rehman Kamboh, Asghar Najmi in Khanewal, Ijaz Bhatti in Mianchannu and Rana Asghar and Malik Abdul Rauf in Kabirwala.

Police, however, are not arresting lawyers and only focusing on PML-N workers, said an official of the city police.

TOBA TEK SINGH:

Police arrested PML-N’s Israr Philourvi, Bashir Iqbal, Shahid, Shahid, Afzal, Asghar, Mazhar Qayyum, Yawar Baloch, Rafique Gujjar, Abdul Razzaq and Shabbir Hussain Dar. Police released district naib nazim Khalid Sardar and UC nazim Shafqat Rasool after a brief detention at Pirmahal police station.

PML-N leader Chaudhry Amjad Ali Javed alleged police misbehaved with the women during the raid to his house.

OKARA:

The arrested people include Rana Muhammad Anwar, Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Mahya, Arif Hussain, Yasir Qadri, Ali Bahadur, Muhammad Shakir, Malik Allah Ditta, Muhammad Amin, Muhammad Ashiq Meo, Muhammad Jaffar, Nasib Shah, Masud Khan, Master Muhammad Akbar, Usman Ghani, Sajid Mehmood, Masroor Tiwana, Muhammad Shahid, Muhammad Nasir, Dildar Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad and Muhammad Riaz.

SHEIKHUPURA:

Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadith’s Rana Abdul Hafeez, PML-N’s Riaz Ahmad, Mubashir Ayoob, Anwarul Haq and Mirza Wasim Ghafoor were arrested and more arrests were expected in next few days.

MANDI BAHAUDDIN:

Police arrested 22 PML-N activists, including Talibul Maula, Imtiaz Ahmed Joya, Riaz Anjana Abdul Waheed and Haji Sarwar and JI leader Prof Ansar Ahmed and Yousaf Butt. Civil Lines police booked DBA President Sher Muhammad Gondal, Zahid Yar Gondal, Qazi Afzaal, Imtiaz Ahmed Gondal, Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Haji Imtiaz Ahmed, Farooq Sahi, Syed Ijaz Khayyali, PTO Liaqat Ali Ranjha, Muzaffar Iqbal Dhudhra, Nazir Ahmed Sulfi and 25 others.

SIALKOT:

Up to 45 PML-N leaders and activists were held in Sialkot including Maqsudul Hasan, Javaid Butt, Khalid Mehmood, Amjad Javaid, Muhammad Akram, Abdul Waheed, Khalid Baig, Ghulam Ahmad and Nawaz. In Daska, police arrested Abdul Manan Alvi, Aftab Ahmad, Muhammad Aslam and Shoaib Mudassar; in Pasrur, police arrested Abdul Waheed, Khalid Mahmood, Amjad Javaid and Ghulam Rasul.

MIANWALI:

Police arrested Rana Muhammad Yasin, Malik Ahmed Khan Haider, Malik Abdul Rehman Arain, Rana Muhammad Akram, Mian Muhammad Ismail and Rana Mushtaq, Muhammad Imran Khan, Iqbal Khan.

MUZAFFARGARH:

District police arrested Sheikh Rashid, Rao Kaleem, Rao Khalid, Ziaullah Khan Changwani and Shahid Abbas.

SAHIWAL:

Police are raiding for the arrest of opposition leaders and activists while DBA president Tahir Shabbir said 200 lawyers were on their way to Islamabad. “Another 200 lawyers would also reach Islamabad in next 24 hours.”

NAROWAL:

Police arrested more than a dozen PML-N workers in Narowal. Those arrested are: Hamid Mahmood Mughal, Muzzamal Hafeez, A.S. Raja, Abdul Hameed Kabaria, Malik Yasin, Seth Arif, Muhammad Shafiq, Khalid Mahmood, Muhammad Hussain and Abdul Aziz.

LAYYAH:

Police arrested dozens of the PML-N workers in the district.

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan districts chipped with in 30 arrests in the countrywide crackdown.