LAHORE: Academics from various national and international universities on Friday condemned crackdown on workers and supporters of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ahead of party lifetime head Nawaz Sharif’s return from London.

“The police and other law enforcement agencies have reportedly taken hundreds of party workers into custody and are making every effort to prevent the rest from reaching Lahore airport to welcome Nawaz,” it was said in a letter written to interim Punjab Chief Minister Hasan Askari Rizvi.

The academics also expressed concerns over the increase in reported incidents of ‘intimidation’, ‘harassment’, and ‘blackmailing’ of the PML-N’s candidates and workers and said that free and fair elections could not be guaranteed under such circumstances. They also said they were disappointed that no action was taken by CM Punjab and the provincial government against the perpetrators.

“Upon taking office, you (Askari) had pledged that you would ensure free and fair election in the province. As your fellow scholars, collaborators and colleagues, we would like to remind you of that commitment and urge you to take urgent steps to create the conditions conducive to such a vote before July 25,” it was written.

It was also demanded that all political prisoners be immediately released, the crackdown against a certain political party be ended, ban on holding political rallies be lifted and that all political parties be given a level playing field.

“We sincerely hope you will put your words into action. If you are unable to do so, it would be appropriate for you to step down,” it was concluded.

The academics included Aqil Shah of University of Oklahoma, Rasul Bakhsh Rais of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pervez Hoodbhoy of Forman Christian College (FCC), Tariq Rahman of Beacon House National University (BNU), author and journalist Ahmed Rashid, Ayesha Siddiqa of School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (UOL), Kamran Asdar Ali of University of Texas-Austin, Yunus Samad of Bradford University, Barnet Rubin of New York University, C. Christine Fair of Georgetown University, Alyssa Ayres of Council on Foreign Relations, Katherine Adeney of Nottingham University and Yaqoob Bangash of Information Technology University.

On Thursday, at least 300 PML-N workers and party leaders, including a Union Council chairman, vice chairman and counselors, were arrested in a crackdown in Lahore.