The Pakistani government has started a crackdown against political leaders and lawyers in Punjab province to stop the lawyers' long march.
Security forces arrested hundreds of political leaders and lawyers under Section MPO on Tuesday evening to prevent the lawyers' long march for the restoration of deposed chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, which was scheduled for March 12.
Police raided the houses and offices of various opposition parties' leaders and members of parliament in Lahore, the Press TV correspondent reported.
"The government decided to place key politicians and lawyers under house arrest in the wake of the long march and sit-in," local media reported.
Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif, former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, Jamat-e-Islami Qazi leader Hussain Ahmed, and Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan will reportedly be kept under house arrest.
Ranger forces have been called into Punjab province and the government is finalizing its strategy to deal with the agitation.
Section 144 has been imposed in many districts of Punjab, including Lahore, banning public meetings and rallies for one month.
Lahore official Mian Amir Mehmood said the decision was "indispensable" as the government wanted to ensure public security and safeguard properties.
Section 144 will be effective from Wednesday and no protest march or gathering of people at one place will be allowed, he added.
The people arrested during this period could be kept under detention for three months.
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Ali Ahmed Kurd has said that Nawaz Sharif is supporting the lawyers' movement for the cause of an independent judiciary.
Kurd added that lawyers are peaceful and thus the long march and subsequent sit-in will also be peaceful.
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