SAHIWAL: The local administration has yet to issue a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to the district chapter of PPP for the Sept 20 public gathering of party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Shaikh Zafar Ali Stadium.

PPP district president and Bilawal’s host Zaki Chaudhry told Dawn that the party had submitted an application along with 52-point code of conduct at the deputy commissioner’s office on Aug 24.

In the application, the party has also sought permission from the Tehsil Municipal Corporation and Parks and Horticulture Authority for installing flexes, hoardings, banners, using loudspeakers on tongas and vans, a motorcycle rally on the night of Sept 19 by Peoples Youth and Peoples Student Federation, welcome camps at Yousafwala, Noor Shah, Gamber and other parts of the city.

If allowed, Bilawal is scheduled to address a public gathering, meet delegations of civil society, students, lawyers and political workers at Chaudhry’s residence. It is learnt his address to the District Bar Council has been cancelled because security clearance was not issued.

Sources said the DC had marked the NOC application with all details to the district police officer (DPO) and later to City Station House Officer Rana Asif Sarwar. The district administration last week held two special security meetings and developed a full plan for the public gathering. Bilawal’s personal security head retired Col Babar and Col Mujahid had twice met with the district administration officials, including DPO Dr Atif Ikram.

Advocate Amir Chohan, deputy information secretary and focal person for NOC, claimed that the application had been cleared by local security agencies, police and had now gone back to the DPO office.

DC Muhammad Khan Khichi told Dawn the NOC had not been issued as Sunday was a holiday. “The district government will issue the NOC in coming days,” he added.

Meanwhile, the local PPP leadership has started putting up flexes, banners and billboards across the city.'

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2017