Times of India

ISLAMABAD, Mar 15: Pakistan's government issued orders to put former premier and main opposition PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif under house arrest for three days to prevent him from leading the long march by lawyers and political activists.

Sources quoted by TV news channels said the orders were issued early on Sunday morning. Pakistan spokesman said opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has been put under house arrest. Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan has also been placed under house arrest, according to reports. Imran Khan was arrested in Rawalpindi.

Sharif's brother, former Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, reached Rawalpindi on Sunday morning to join the long march but his motorcade was stopped at a police picket. Reports said he could be detained in the garrison city.

Despite an announcement by the ruling Pakistan People's Party that it would file a review petition challenging the Supreme Court's order barring PML-N leaders Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif from electoral politics, the former premier told his supporters on Saturday night that he might be detained to stop him from joining the long march.

"I may be arrested or put under house arrest. But you should try to reach Islamabad," Sharif told hundreds of supporters in Lahore on Saturday night.