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Police raid HRCP office, over 50 held

LAHORE: Heavy contingents of the city police, led by Model SP Imran Ahmar, raided the HRCP head office in Garden Town on Sunday and arrested around 53 human rights activists, including 24 women. At the time, a meeting of about 60 to 70 people, including reporters, was discussing the post-emergency scenario. During the meeting, dozens of policemen and policewomen entered the HRCP building and cordoned off the meeting room. The Punjab government has already detained HRCP Chairwoman Asma Jehangir in her house. Her house has been declared a sub-jail, and HRCP Director IA Rehman and Secretary General Syed Iqbal Haider have also been shifted there. The police locked up the others at Model Town police station, while former finance minister Dr Mubashir Hasan, among the participants at the meeting, has reportedly been released. Sources said the arrested people were forced to sign a statement declaring that they would not participate in any “anti-state” activity in future. Reporters were kept in a police prisoners van for more than 40 minutes and released only after showing identification cards. Meanwhile, over 150 activists, relatives of arrested persons, journalists, students and teachers of LUMS, BNU and GCU remain gathered outside Model Town Police Station. They also lit candles as a symbol of hope. Sources said intelligence reports had revealed the people were arrested because they were planning protests along with lawyers. Later on Sunday night, the authorities considered to keep the detainees at the police station, and later also thought of keeping them for a 30-day period. After a one-hour talk, however, police decided that the detainees would be released today (Monday), on an understanding that those arrested would not participate in “anti-state” activities in future, or else the government would not show any leniency. The government decided that the detainees be shifted to three different houses, chosen by them, to serve as sub-jails. Two houses would be reserved for the women. staff report

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