RAWALPINDI: With elections are just a little over a week away, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is all set to show its power on in Rawalpindi on Saturday (today) with a jalsa at historical Liaquat Bagh, but without its supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the public meeting, while Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz will not come to address the workers and supporters of PML-N, according to the local party leaders.

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The party candidates of National and provincial assemblies from the city and adjoining areas are finding it hard to motivate the workers and supporters for the public meeting because of the absence of the PML-N’s supreme leader.

The garrison city, which was known as the PML-N’s fort for two decades from the 1990s to 2013, switched to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). Former prime minister Imran Khan had also won a seat from the city. At present, the PML-N is struggling hard to regain its stronghold in the upcoming general elections. Interviews with a number of PML-N workers and supporters reveal that there is a disappointment in the ranks of the party as Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz have not visited the city after coming back from London some three months ago.

Party candidates finding hard to mobilise supporters

“The party workers wanted the presence of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz as they visited Lahore and other parts of the province. Most workers are not attached to Shehbaz Sharif, and they wanted to see and listen to both father and daughter,” said Muhammad Nisar, a party worker from College Road.

Muhammad Ishaq, an old worker from Chittian Hattian, said in the past, Nawaz Sharif visited the garrison city, and the workers and supporters responded positively with votes, but this time, he or Maryam had not visited the city to lift up the spirits of the workers for the elections. He recalled that the local leaders and workers of the party in the past had held several protests and rallies in support of Nawaz Sharif when he was living in self-exile in London.

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When contacted, PML-N Metropolitan President Sardar Naseem Khan said the party election cell had made a schedule for the public meetings, and Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were busy in other parts of the country, stating that they would visit the garrison city soon.

“Shehbaz Sharif is PML-N’s president, and he has served the province and the country and has done a lot of work for Rawalpindi during his tenure; and the workers are attached to him, and they will be charged up after the visit of Shehbaz Sharif as well,” he said.

He said all the preparations had been completed for the public meeting in historical Liaquat Bagh, and the party would show the power of the people to the opponents.

“A stage is prepared, and the party workers and supporters will come to the Jalsa in large numbers, as Rawalpindi is the fort of the PML-N and it will remain under the stronghold of the party in the upcoming polls,” he said.

He said that for the Jalsa, they got permission from the district administration, and all the standard operating procedures would be followed for the safety of the party leaders and workers in the public meeting.

The district administration has granted permission to hold public meetings for PML-N and PPP. It granted conditional permission for the holding of public meetings to the two main parties, PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), on January 27 and 28, respectively.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema told Dawn that permission was granted to two main political parties as per the recommendations of the Divisional Intelligence Committee on January 24.

As per permission granted to the PML-N, the district administration asked to implement 60 points other than the code of conduct of the election commission during the public meeting.

The permission letter available with Dawn states that as per the prevailing threat spectrum regarding political leadership, the organisers of the public gathering “shall take extraordinary precautionary measures” as well as necessary security arrangements in addition to the arrangements made by local police, especially during the address of leadership, to avert any untoward incident.

According to the letter, the event would be concluded before sunset, and the time schedule shall be strictly followed to avoid any undesirable situations. No activity after sunset would be allowed. The organiser shall ensure the installation of CCTV cameras, walk-through gates at entry points, and other security paraphernalia as framed by the district police.

The participants will be searched at a distance of 200 metres from the venue, and any participant or vehicle will not be allowed within the prescribed radius of the venue.

Separate parking for vehicles, especially motorcycles, will be established at a distance, as advised by the law enforcement agencies and traffic police, to avoid any undesirable situation.

The use of decks, speakers, or sound amplifiers shall be regulated under the provision of ‘The Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation) Ordinance, 20 l 5’. The speakers shall not be used during prayers or Azan timings.

Traffic plan

Meanwhile, the City Traffic Police also released a traffic plan for the PML-N’s gathering at Liaquat Bagh. The police said as many as 210 traffic officers and officials will perform duty with seven diversions placed on roads leading to the venue.

According to the traffic plan, four deputy superintendents of police (DSP), 35 inspectors, more than 160 wardens and traffic assistants with 11 fork lifters will perform duty.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Taimoor Khan said that traffic from seven places will be diverted to alternative routes.

According to the diversion, Liaquat Road (Liaquat Bagh Chowk to DAV College Chowk) and Murree Road from Marir Chowk to Committee Chowk and from Committee Chowk to Moti Mahal Chowk will be closed.

Traffic coming from Saddar will be diverted towards Kutchery Chwok from Marir Chowk while traffic coming from Fawara Chowk towards Liaquat Bagh will be diverted from DAV College Chowk to Saddar.

All types of traffic will be prohibited from entering Liaquat Bagh from Rialto Underpass. Traffic coming from Imam Bargah Chowk will be diverted towards Naya Mohalla Chowk and Committee Chowk while traffic from Islamabad to Saddar will be diverted to Committee Chowk in the first phase and Rawal Road towards Islamic Shehad (honey) Centre in the second phase and Rawal Road in the third phase.

In the first phase, the traffic from Rawal Road will be diverted towards the flyover at Chandni Chowk.

Seven areas have been earmarked for parking for people participating in the public rally.

Parking of vehicles will be allowed on both sides of the road from Marir Chowk, Moti Mahal Cinema, Tipu Road, Sasta Bazar, Committee Chowk/Dhoke Khabba Road, Nogza Road and Wapda Hospital.

A separate parking lot has been allocated for media on Press Club Road.

The Chief Traffic Officer has appealed to the citizens to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and use the designated parking lots. The citizens should also avoid unnecessary travels and follow traffic rules and cooperate with the police, the spokesman said.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2024

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