Pak arrests 167 Jamaat-ud Dawa operatives, seals over 50 offices

Islamabad/Lahore/Karachi/Peshawar, Dec.13 (ANI): Pakistan police have reportedly arrested 167 Jamaat-ud-Dawa operatives and closed down over 50 of its offices across the country in a continued crackdown against the banned group.

The Daily Times quoted official sources in Islamabad as saying that three offices of the Jamaat-ud-Daawa in the national capital were sealed on Friday.

Islamabad's Chief Commissioner Kamran Lashari said no arrests were made initially, but later in a raid on a fourth office, six operatives were arrested.

In Peshawar and other parts of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the Jamaat-ud-Dawa claimed that a 150 of its operatives had been arrested and 46 of its offices sealed. It also said that many of its workers have gone underground.

The Jaamatud Dawa headquarters at Peshawar's Fawara Chowk, and offices of the banned Al Akhtar Trust and Al Rashid Trust in the Saddar, Hashtnagri, Gulbahar and Yakatoot areas were also forced to close down.

In Rawalpindi, five Jamaat-ud-Dawa offices were sealed, while in Lahore, surety bonds were taken from Jamaat-ud-Dawa operatives, police sources told the Daily Times.

In Multan, police sealed a Jamaat-ud-Dawa office, a school and a dispensary during a midnight operation.

Police also sealed Jamaat-ud-Dawa offices in Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Arifwala, Bahawalnagar and Khanewal.

In Sindh, eleven operatives of the banned group were arrested and six offices and six seminaries were sealed. Jamaat-ud-Dawa officials, however, claimed 100 operatives had been held and 35 offices sealed. (ANI)