BAHAWALPUR, April 12: Cantonment police arrested a PML-N office-bearer under MPO 16 on Thursday. Police raided the house of Hammad Nadeem Mirani and arrested him as he was scheduled to leave for Islamabad to participate in a protest demonstration against the suspension of Chief Justice of Pakistan on the occasion of hearing of presidential reference on Friday.

Meanwhile, police also raided the houses of the leaders and office-bearers of the ARD component parties here. But most of them succeeded to go to Islamabad to join the protest of opposition parties in favour of CJP. They are PML-N district president and ex-MNA Mumtaz Ahmad Jajja, district PPP president Riaz Dahar, PML-N MPA Malik Iqbal Channar, ex-MNA Seth Aqeelur Rehman, PPP district general secretary Muhammad Ali Ahsan, information secretary Salim Bhatti and ex-parliamentary secretary Samiullah Chaudhry. They reportedly went underground to thwart their arrest by the police.

Earlier, the MMA announced that it would observe protest day on Friday and take out a rally.

Lawyers will also observe strike on the call given by the Punjab Bar Council on Friday. They boycotted courts on Thursday against the suspension of CJP.

ACCIDENT: Majeed was killed by a speeding AC coach (IR-9196) coming from Lahore near Lal Sohanra, about 30 kilometres from here, on Thursday.

Police have arrested the driver.