Nawaz Sharif

Image: Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, gestures as he delivers a speech to his supporters during a rally in Narowal town near Lahore, Pakistan, Monday, March 2, 2009. Late last month, the Supreme Court banned opposition leader Nawaz Sharif from elected office, triggering violent protests by his supporters. (Copyright AP. Any unauthorised reproduction is prohibited.)

Lahore: Pakistani authorities Wednesday decided to put Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and his borther Shahbaz Sharif under house arrest to prevent a planned long march by the opposition party workers and lawyers to Islamabad, Geo TV reported.

The police launched a crackdown against lawyers and opposition leaders early Wednesday in several Punjab districts, including Lahore, the report said.

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According to the report, the police have been ordered for home confinement of Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Jamat-e-Islami leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan.

The opposition said they would go ahead with their march to demand the government for reinstatement of judges who were sacked by former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf.

Many activists belonging to the PML-N and Jamat-e-Islami have been apprehended during raids on their homes.

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The police carried out several raids at the offices and homes of Jamat-e-Islami workers in Lahore and PML-N's members in Punjab. However, many members managed to flee and gone in hiding, Geo TV said.

The police also raided their premises in Vihari, Gujranwala, Shaikhupura, Faisalabad and Sialkot, it said.

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