MUZAFFARGARH/MULTAN, Jan 8: PML-Q public meetings at Muzaffargarh and Multan on Tuesday met a cold response from the masses despite hectic efforts of party leaders and the respective city and district governments and other organs of the state machinery.

Because of a very low turnout, the venue of the PML-Q public meeting at Thatta Gurmani, Kot Addu, had to be shifted to the lawn of party’s NA-177 aspirant khalid Gurmani.

As Mr Elahi landed at Parco helipad, he was received by the DIG Athar Mubarak, DPO Maqsoodul Hasan, DCO Dr Akhtar Nazir Warraich, tehsil nazims of Kot Addu, Alipur and Muzaffargarh, besides PML-Q candidates for PP-255, PP-252 and NA-177.

However, at Thatta Gurmani, the scene was not so pleasant for the organisers of the public meeting as only around 2,000 people, including schoolteachers, policemen in civvies, tehsil administration officials, union council nazims and naib nazims and patwaris were waiting for the PML-Q leader in an inclement weather.

To save the situation, the organisers immediately decided to shift the meeting venue.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Elahi said the flour crisis was artificially created to defame the government.

Accusing PPP workers of perpetrating arson and riots following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, he said during the three days of unrest they were holding the sway and inflicted loss of billions of rupees to the country. “If the PPP comes to power you can imagine the damage it will do to the country,” he argued.

He said the PPP and PML-N workers had been hijacked by `trio of the corrupt’ — Asif Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif.

He said after coming to power, PML-Q government would brick-line Muzaffargarh Canal to overcome water logging and salinity in the area. Khalid Gurmani also spoke on the occasion.

Later, talking to Dawn, Nawabzada Iftikhar Ahmed Khan, PML-Q candidate for NA-178, held inclement weather responsible for the low turnout at the meeting.

MULTAN: PML-Q failed to gather a sizeable crowd at the public meeting arranged for the former chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi here on Tuesday.

Speaking at the meeting held at the residence of party candidate for PP-199, Syed Abbas Akbar Moni Shah, the former chief minister said after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto the other shock for PPP workers was the assuming of party leadership by Asif Zardari.

He said Mr Zardari wanted a role in PPP what Sonia Gandhi had in Congress in India by controlling the party from behind the scene.

He said as PML-N had been reduced to a branch of what he called `Zardari League’ so Nawaz Sharif should stop using the banner of Muslim League.

The local leadership of parties opposing the PML-Q termed the public meeting a `poor show’.

Giving reasons for the low attendance at the PML-Q’s public meeting, they said it was because of the `discriminatory’ attitude of the former ruling party towards south Punjab.

Dr Javed Siddiqi of PPP said the city district government gave Mr Elahi the protocol of chief minister which was an open violation of Election Election Commission rules.

He said being aware of party’s popularity graph in the city, PML-Q held the meeting at the residence of a candidate about 20 kilometre away from Mulatn.

Tariq Naeemullah of PML-N said people hold PML-Q responsible for all the problems the country was facing, including massive loadshedding, flour shortage and increasing prices of daily use commodities.

He alleged the city district government had forced employees of district departments, including education, Wasa, revenue and sanitation, to attend the public meeting in an inclement weather.

However, Syed Abbas Akbar Moni Shah of PML-Q said the meeting was a historical gathering and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi expressed his pleasure over the arrangements.

He denied using official resources for holding the meeting