RAWALPINDI, April 1: District police launched a crackdown on leaders and activists of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and arrested more than 100 religious alliance workers on Friday. Official sources said those arrested included former MPA Hanif Chaudhry, Shabab-i-Milli President Syed Shahid Pervaiz and Haji Tahir. One of the officials said political activists wanted by the police in connection with already registered cases were being taken into custody. Similarly, some activists who were distributing pamphlets had also been rounded up by the police in different parts of Rawalpindi, he added.

Police have also removed banners and pamphlets inscribed with anti-government slogans and asking people to observe a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi district administration has enforced Section 144 prohibiting assembly of five or more people with effect from Friday evening. All kinds of processions, religious gatherings, display of banners, distribution of handbills and setting tyres on fire have also been banned.

As part of the security arrangements, police and Punjab Constabulary have been deployed at exit and entry points in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Police have also been deployed outside the offices of Jamaat-i-Islami. A security official said Islamabad police had decided to use their armoured personnel carrier to cope with any untoward situation. Besides, huge quantity of tear-gas shells and other anti-riot tools have been stocked by the police, he added.

Meanwhile, the MMA leadership has expressed the confidence that the April 2 shutter-down and wheel-jam strike would be a success, despite the arrest of MMA workers and activists. Our Staff Reporter from Islamabad adds: A large number of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) activists on Friday took out a rally in the capital to muster public support for their wheel-jam and shutter-down strike on Saturday.

Over 100 people riding motorcycles and cars began the march peacefully from Melody Market and proceeded towards Karachi Company passing through various areas including Aabpara, Super Market, Jinnah Super Market, Blue Area, G-8 Markaz, Peshawar Mor, G-10 Markaz, G-11 Markaz and F-10 Markaz.

The participants were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans criticizing the government for price hike and lawlessness in the country.

Vehicles of Islamabad police and fire brigade also remained with the rally. A shopkeeper in F-10 Markaz told Dawn that the police was silently watching the scene when the MMA leaders and activists asked the shopkeepers to keep their businesses closed on Saturday.

He claimed that some of the MMA activists even used threatening language, asking the businessmen to keep their shops closed or be ready to face the consequences. “It is strange that they (MMA activists) used such a language in front of the police officials,” he said, adding the businessmen had doubts that how the police would protect them on Saturday if they preferred to open their shops.

MMA MNA Mian Mohammad Aslam, who led the rally, told Dawn that the call for the wheel-jam and shutter-down strike had been given to protest against the price hike, particularly recent increase in oil prices.

He said the government should take action to reduce inflation and price hike which had broken the back of the common man. Replying to a question, the MNA claimed that the law- enforcement agencies had detained over 400 MMA activists in Sindh and the Punjab in an effort to fail the strike.

Our Reporter from Islamabad adds: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MNA and Ameer of Jamaat-i-Islami, Islamabad chapter, Mian Mohammad Aslam has said the religious parties’ alliance had given the strike call on the insistence of the people who were annoyed with the economic policies of the rulers.

“The government is snatching people’s democratic and constitutional right to protest against its cruel economic policies that forced a countless number of people to commit suicide and made life hell for the poor masses,” he said at a news conference held at his Melody office on Friday.

The MNA condemned the government for, what he said, using unusual pressure tactics to stop traders and transporters representatives from supporting the MMA’s strike call for Saturday.

Mr Aslam said the government was constantly increasing prices of basic needs like fuel, power, gas and edibles without taking any approval from the parliament, which was against constitutional and democratic practices.