SHEIKHUPURA, Sept 26: Nankana police on Sunday registered cases against 126 people, most of them unknown, for damaging and ransacking Sikh community worship places and other properties during Saturday's protest procession.

Local citizens and students of the Government Grunanak College took to streets on Saturday to protest a Punjab government decision to convert the college premises into a boarding and lodging facility for the Sikhs who visit the birthplace of the founder of their religion.

On the direction of the chief minister, Punjab police IG Saadatullaha Khan visited the district headquarters on Sunday and presided over a meeting in the DPO office. The meeting decided to deploy police and Frontier Constabulary at worship places, commercial centres and residences of the Sikh community in the district, particularly in Nankana, as a 'precautionary measure'.

Sardar Mastan Singh, chairman of the Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Pakistan, and Sardar Nam Singh, who were present in the meeting, expressed their satisfaction over the government reaction in protecting their lives, properties and worship places.

They reportedly told the meeting that last day's incident was the result of some misunderstanding. Taking note of the incident, sources said that President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, and Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao had sought report from the Punjab government.

Punjab Education Secretary Nazir Saeed who also attended the meeting clarified that no deadline to vacate the college building had been issued. "It'll only be vacated after the construction of new college building." He also termed students' protest outcome of some misunderstanding.

The meeting was also attended by Sheikhupura DIG Saqlain Naqvi, District Nazim Ch Tawakalullah Virk, MPAs Zulqurnain Doger and Agha Ali Hyder, Tehsil Nazim Mumtaz Shah, DCO Tariq Najib Najmi, DPO Shahid Iqbal.

The provincial government, it may be added, had taken the decision of converting the college into a boarding facility on the appeal Haryana Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala who visited Nankana earlier this month. Since the announcement, there was an unrest among students. Local lawyers, citizens and teachers also supported them.

Local police surrounded the college and Gurdwara Janam Asthhan on Saturday to stop any untoward incident. However some students pelted stones on vehicles and shops owned by the Sikhs.

It was learnt that the college in past was used as 'langarkhana' for Sikh pilgrims. Later it was converted into an academic institution. The local Sikh community, it was learnt, has already raised, through donations, a handsome amount to fund the construction of a new building for the college so that the existing structure could house the pilgrims.

PROBE: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has warned that those who took law into their hands on the issue of Nankana College would be dealt with an iron hand. He said the government considered protection of life and property as well as upholding sanctity of the places of worship of all minorities, including Sikhs, as its prime responsibility and would effectively discharge all its obligations in this regard.

IGP Saadatullah Khan meanwhile directed the Sheikhupura DIG and DPO to keep a close liaison with the Sikhs besides keeping a eye on the situation. According to police sources, as many as 20 people were nominated in the FIR which had been sealed.

DPO Shahid Iqbal said police and Frontier Constabulary had been deployed in Nankana as a precautionary measure. Regretting Saturday's riots, Sikh leader Sardar Mastan Singh said it was the first incident of its kind during the last three centuries.

He said the use of the college building as a boarding facility was purely an official decision and that the Sikh had not pressed any body. He said the Sikh would have no objection if the government reversed the decision for maintaining peace in the town. Mastan demanded that miscreants behind Saturday's protest procession should be taken to task.