Opposition leaders held during Sharif drama released

Islamabad: All opposition workers and leaders detained during Nawaz Sharif entry-exile drama earlier this week were released early yesterday on the orders of President Pervez Musharraf, officials said.

According to a presidential spokesman, Musharraf ordered the provincial governments overnight to release political activists detained on the eve of the former prime minister's arrival at the Islamabad airport from London.

The president issued the directive in view of the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, which begins in Pakistan today, the spokesman said.

The exact number of detainees belonging to various component parties of the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), which Nawaz formed in London recently to step up challenge to Musharraf, was not officially disclosed.

The PML-N however said more than 4,000 of its workers had been arrested, most in the Punjab province.

Detention

Several central leaders of PML-N including acting president of the party Javed Hashmi, secretary general Zafar Iqbal Jhagra, deputy parliamentary leader Nisar Ali Khan and information secretary Ahsan Iqbal spent four days under detention.

Ahsan Iqbal, who was freed from a jail in Bahawalpur in southern part of Punjab, said the APDM would continue its struggle for establishment of constitutional rule and restoration of genuine democracy.

He said a meeting of leaders of the member parties of the grouping would be held in Islamabad on September 16 to chalk out the future line of action over Nawaz Sharif's deportation to Saudi Arabia after his return on Monday.

"Musharraf made a mockery of the Supreme Court verdict that allowed Nawaz Sharif to return and remain in the country," he said.

He contemptuously rejected the claim by the government that the PML-N leader chose exile to spending time in jail in the country in corruption cases.

On the other hand an anti-graft accountability court in Rawalpindi yesterday adjourned proceedings in cases against the former prime minister and several members of the family to October 3.