LAHORE, April 8: All is set for President Gen Pervez Musharraf to kick off his referendum campaign to muster public support at a public meeting scheduled for Tuesday here at Minar-i-Pakistan.

The maiden referendum meeting, which is being organized by the Lahore city district government, is expected by the government to be attended by 100,000-150,000 people from all over the province.

Gen Musharraf would reportedly address eight such public meetings in Punjab and 12 in other three provinces before the polling day.

A big stage has already been prepared at the Minar-i-Pakistan ground where a bulletproof rostrum would be put up as part of the security arrangements. The stage is set around 300 feet back from the first row of the chairs. Some 35000 chairs have been arranged for the audience. More are being arranged.

Camps would be set up at Thokar Niaz Beg, Shahdara, the Saggian bridge on the Ravi, and near the Children’s Hospital at Ferozepur Road to receive people coming from other parts of the province.

Despite its claims to the contrary, the regime is making full use of financial and other resources of the district governments and directed each district Nazim in Punjab to bring at least 5,000 people to attend the Lahore meeting. The Lahore city district has told each councillor to bring 40 people to the meeting.

Similarly, the education department has told all school teachers to stay at their institutions at noon to be transported to the meeting. A staggering 40,000 district government employees from the Punjab have also been directed to ensure their presence at the meeting.

Besides, the city government is alleged to have spent millions of rupees to take out newspaper advertisements about the meeting. The Lahore district government is putting in a huge effort for making the event a success and allocated huge financial and other resources for it as its Nazim Mian Amer Mehmood is rumoured to be eying the top slot of chief ministership after the October polls.

The district government has hung some 2,000 banners across the city roads. Mobile teams have been making announcement about the meeting in the city all the day long to mobilize people for the event.

The city police have already impounded several thousand vans, wagons, school buses, private pick-ups for transporting public to the venue, causing problem to the commuters and school children. The vehicles have been parked at various places like the Punjab University Ground, Minar-i-Pakistan, Qaddafi Stadium and other places. Many have been handed over to the Nazims and councillors for transporting the people on Tuesday.

The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) alleged that over 11,000 vehicles had been impounded in the province.

Governor Khalid Maqbool visited the venue on Monday afternoon to review arrangements for the meeting. He stayed there for about one-and-a-half-hour and issued directions.

The president had formally announced holding of referendum in the first week of next month to perpetuate himself in power for five more years beyond the general elections to be held this October.

The president’s decision to hold the referendum has drawn wide criticism, especially major political parties, including the PPP, the PML(N) and the ANP, and religious parties which have gathered under the banner of the Mutehida Majlis-i-Amal.

The ARD and the MMA have announced to launch anti-referendum drive to mobilize public opinion against the president’s decision.

The opponents of referendum contend that the “constitution did not provide for holding of referendum for the purpose it is being organized”. They have described the decision as unconstitutional, advising Gen Musharraf to follow the “procedures laid down in the constitution for the election of president”.

The lawyers community has also vehemently rejected the idea of referendum, saying it would create further fissures in society.

Some political and religious parties, such as the PML(QA), the Millat Party and the Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT), are supporting the holding of referendum. They have decided to take an active part in the public meetings to be addressed by the general in the run-up to referendum.

The ARD parties alleged that the police had been forcing their Nazims and councillors to participate in the meeting. They alleged that the district, town and union council Nazims belonging to the PPP, PML(N) and other parties were coerced into lending support to the president’s plan.