ISLAMABAD, Nov 28: Opposition senators on Tuesday criticised the government for detaining Baloch leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal and 150 other people.

They said that the arrests were aimed at preventing them from participating in a protest long march on Thursday in the province against extra-judicial arrests of political activists and setting up of cantonments in Balochistan.

Speaking on a point of order, Senator Babar Awan of the People’s Party Parliamentarians termed the detention of Mr Mengal a violation of Article 15 of the Constitution which guaranteed free movement to citizens within the country.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan said that Article 15 had provided the right of free movement only to peaceful citizens and it was not without restriction.

He read out Article 15 of the Constitution and said that every citizen had the right to move in the country "subject to any reasonable restriction imposed by law in the public interest".He said there were cases against Mr Mengal. It was true that Mr Mengal was a former chief minister of Balochistan, but no one was above the law, he added.

The minister said that there was a fear that a law and order situation could be created, if Mr Mengal was allowed to move freely in the province.

Dr Abdul Malik, a senator from Balochistan, said that Mr Mengal had been arrested because the government was afraid of the long march.

He said that Mr Mengal had been arrested under 16 MPO (Maintenance of Public Order) which had remained a tool in the hands of dictators.

Senator Awan again took the floor and criticised the minister for speaking on the issue without seeking information from the provincial government or the interior ministry.

He asked the minister to tell the house that under which charges Mr Mengal had been detained and what public interests could be damaged due to his free movement.

He said that it was a democratic right of Mr Mengal to take out rallies and processions.

Dr Afgan said that Mr Megal had the right to challenge his detention in Balochistan High Court.

The Balochistan National Party had announced to hold a long march from Gwadar to Quetta in protest against military operations, extra-judicial arrests of Baloch political activists and the establishment of cantonments in the province.