ISLAMABAD, March 4: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan was picked up and put under house arrest here on Friday night, barring him from staging a protest march against the visit of United States President George W. Bush to the country.

Sources said Mr Khan was taken into custody when he was coming out of an apartment building in Sector F-10 after attending a dinner.

“A police team was waiting for Mr Khan outside the apartment building and after taking him into custody it drove him to his home in Banni Gala area and since then he is under house arrest,” the sources said.

Police also arrested some other leaders of the PTI and about 70 workers in two days.

About 50 workers who had assembled at Committee Chowk in Rawalpindi to stage the rally were arrested on Saturday.

The PTI chief had announced that he would stage a march from Rawalpindi to Islamabad to protest against the visit.

“I was attending a dinner when I was picked up by the Islamabad police,” the PTI chief told Dawn.

He said it had not been mentioned in the detention order that for how long he would remain in custody. “I think they will not release me until Mr Bush returns to his country,” the PTI chairman said.

Mr Khan condemned the government’s action against him, his party workers and local leaders of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

He said MMA leader Hanif Abbasi, who had announced that he would join the protest, had also been put under house arrest.

Other PTI leaders, including the party’s chief in Punjab Javed Iqbal, joint secretary Amir Mehmood Kiani, Zahid Kazmi, Haji Shafat Awan, Jan Mohammad and Faisal Pirzada were arrested in Rawalpindi, while Sardar Asghar Tariq Khan and Yunus Ali Raza were held at Abpara.

The arrest in Islamabad was made when the two leaders were proceeding towards Islamabad Press Club at Melody to arrange a telephonic press conference of Mr Khan. The press conference was arranged by another PTI office-bearer.

Speaking at the press conference, the PTI chairman said he would try his best to unite the opposition against President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship.

He accused the government of adopting a dual policy, saying that the it had announced that peaceful protest was a basic right of every citizen and on the other hand police used tear gas and baton charge on a peaceful demonstration staged by PTI workers.

“We are against Mr Bush because he is supporting Gen Musharraf’s dictatorial rule in Pakistan,” the PTI chairman said.

ORDERS REVOKED: The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration revoked detention order of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan at about 11pm and police personnel deployed at his home were called back.

Deputy Commissioner, Islamabad, Choudhary Mohammad Ali confirmed that Mr Khan was not under house arrest any more.

The PTI chief remained under house arrest for 24 hours after he was picked up on Friday night and was confined in his own house at the Bani Gala area.