Musharraf regime trying to sabotage Nawaz Sharifs reception

The Musharraf regime has decided to strategically sabotage Nawaz Sharifs reception, which is being planned in the shape of a grand convoy from Rawalpindi to Lahore via GT Road, said Punjab Government sources.

Lahore, Sep 5 : The Musharraf regime has decided to strategically sabotage Nawaz Sharif's reception, which is being planned in the shape of a grand convoy from Rawalpindi to Lahore via GT Road, said Punjab Government sources.

Top officials of the province have told Islamabad that the Punjab Government would deal with the reception with a "strict hand and would not allow the rally to become impressive in the big cities on GT Road," sources said.

"Around 50 of our workers have been rounded up from their homes and from party offices in several cities in Punjab," PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul-Haq said.

"The government is nervous about the return of Sharif and they want to sabotage the reception he is going to get when he returns, but they cannot dent our commitment to our leader," he added.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said that the government was using all possible tactics and the party did not rule out the possibility of a link between the bomb blasts in Rawalpindi and the kind of public harassment intended to sabotage the party chief's reception.

He accused the government of gross negligence and inefficiency, holding it directly responsible for the Rawalpindi bomb blasts.

"The intelligence agencies that are supposed to ensure the safety of citizens are allegedly involved in making deals between Musharraf and certain political parties," Iqbal added.

The PML-N leadership also said that a police crackdown against party workers continued on Tuesday, and claimed that dozens of activists had been arrested across Punjab.

Iqbal said that PML-N Lahore President Marghoob and a dozen activists were arrested late at night.

"The government should stop using terrorism as political tool and stop harassing and arresting PML-N activists," he said.

"These arrests are a violation of the verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan that nobody can stop the Sharif brothers, and we would move the apex court on the issue," Iqbal said.

The Punjab Government, however, continued to deny the allegations of a crackdown.

"There have been no arrests in our knowledge, and the Chief Minister has asked that security be provided at all places along the reception route," said Punjab Government spokesman Ashfaq Gondal.

ANI