Hardline cleric, supporters detained ahead of protest

ISLAMABAD: The head of the Tehreek-e-labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Khadim Hussain Rizvi, and hundreds of his followers have been detained by police in Lahore ahead of the radical party’s planned nationwide strike over the release of a Christian woman whose blasphemy conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court.

Information minister Fawad Chaudhry said Rizvi was taken into “protective custody” on Friday night and shifted to a guesthouse. The detention was part of a police sweep against activists of TLP and Tehreek-e-labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYRA).

“The action was prompted by TLP’S refusal to withdraw its call for a protest on November 25. It’s to safeguard public life, property and order,” Chaudhry said. “The arrest has nothing to do with the Asia Bibi case,” he added, referring to the Christian woman freed after eight years on death row.

Chaudhry said the TLP had insisted on marching to Rawalpindi, rejecting the government’s proposal for “alternative arrangements”.

Rizvi’s son Saad told the media that all district leaders of TLP were arrested with his father. Reports said more than 400 TLP activists had been rounded up. There were reports of protests by TLP supporters in several cities.

The local media reported a large-scale operation against TLP leaders in major cities. TLP leader Pir Afzal Qadri, in a video message, said police were raiding mosques to arrest leaders.

The arrests came weeks after the TLP led a three-day protest across Pakistan against the acquittal of Asia Bibi.

AFP A policeman attempts to remove a burning motorbike from a street in Karachi early on Saturday after it was set alight by protestors anticipating the arrest of Khadim Hussain Rizvi.