RAWALPINDI: The Special Branch has provided a list of 300 leaders and active workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to the Punjab government to detain them to thwart the August 14 rally on Islamabad.

A senior official of the city district government Rawalpindi (CDGR) told Dawn that the list was prepared after the Punjab government sought the details of the active leaders and workers of the PTI. However, the government has so far not issued any instructions to detain them, said the official.

On the other hand, the PTI workers claimed that the police had started harassing their leaders. “I and our MPAs, including Arif Abbasi, Rashid Hafeez, Asif Mehmood, Col Amjad, Wasiq Qayyum and Chaudhry Zubair, have received threatening calls from the Punjab police and there are reports that we would be arrested soon,” said PTI north Punjab president Sadaqat Abbasi while talking to Dawn.

He said some police officials visited the residences of Qaisar Abbas and Chaudhry Zubair on Monday night. He said the party had decided that all the leaders would remain at an unknown place to avoid arrest.

The senior CDGR official said the Special Branch had prepared the list of 300 PTI workers and sent it to the Punjab government, stating that they would play a major role in bringing the people out to participate in the march on Islamabad.

He said the local administration had sought the help of the provincial government to take action to stop the march but the government was of the view that it would issue final instructions within two days.

A senior PML-N leader said the provincial government and the PML-N had directed all the party leaders and workers to spend more time in their union councils and constituencies to convince the people to take part in the Independence Day celebrations instead of joining the PTI’s Azadi march.

When contacted, former MNA Malik Shakil Awan said: “We have started distributing national flags in every house and the local leaders have started door-to-door campaign to contact the citizens in this regard. The people will enjoy fireworks and illuminations in their localities where artists would also sing national songs on August 14.”

He said the PTI and its supporters should stop the unnecessary marches otherwise the government would seal the twin cities.

PTI Punjab vice-president Raja Tariq Mehboob Kiani said there were reports about the expected detention of PTI leaders but the party had chalked out its plan to lead the people towards Islamabad on the call of Imran Khan.

He said the PTI would hold a workers’ convention on August 9 in the Rawalpindi city. However, the venue of the convention would be announced soon. He said the party had completed arrangements to hire vehicles and also prepared a list of people who would join the march.

“Approximately, over 50,000 people have confirmed that they would arrive in Islamabad from different union councils of Rawalpindi city alone,” he said.

When contacted, District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajid Zafar Dall said the provincial government had not issued any instructions to detain the PTI leaders.

He said the local administration had also not decided to impose Section 144 in the district. However, he said arrangements were being made for the Independence Day celebrations.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2014