KARACHI, April 12: A meeting held here on Friday with Sindh minister for local bodies, transport and labour, Dewan Mohammad Yousaf Farooqi, in the chair reviewed the arrangements for public meeting of president Gen. Pervez Musharraf in the city on April 28 and referendum-2002.

The meeting was attended Naib Nazim Tariq Hasan, Secretary Local Bodies Maj Qamar-u-Zaman, IGP Syed Kamal Shah, City Police Chief Asad Jehangir, DCO Karachi Shafiqur Rehman Paracha, DIG Karachi Tariq Jameel, all town municipal officers and town police officers of Karachi.

Dewan Farooqi, who is also the convener of committee, formed to make arrangements for Referendum-2002, informed the meeting about his recent visit to Thatta and Sanghar districts.

President Pervaiz Musharraf will address six public meetings in Sindh, starting from Thatta and Sanghar city on 13th followed by Sukkur and Jacobabad on 18th while the fifth meeting will be held in Hyderabad on 26th whereas the Karachi public meeting will be held on 28th near Mazar-i-Quaid.

To facilitate the masses, one polling booth will be established for a population of 600 people, he said and directed the TMOs to review the list of polling booths sent by the election commission.

The meeting was informed that the secretary coordination at provincial level is Maj (retd) Qamar uz Zaman while EDO Revenue Javed Hanif at the Karachi City level will be in liaison with DCO Karachi and Naib Nazims Karachi Tariq Hasan.

The Naib Nazim pointed out that since very short time is left between president’s public meeting in Karachi and the referendum date therefore, fool-proof arrangements have to be made right from the beginning.

Karachi police Chief Asad Jehangir requested for an early availability of list of polling booths for appropriate security arrangements.

Maj Qamar set the deadline of April 20 for DCO and TMOs to provide the list of sites for polling booths along with details of necessary expenditure and the required funds will be released through the DCO.

The DCO Karachi informed that since list of polling stations has been received from the election commission a few days back, all the TMOs have already started working on it and the final list will be provided to the provincial government within three working days.

He suggested that polling booths be set up in Sindh Secretariat blocks, income tax building and near flat complexes, including police flats near Artillery Maidan PS and other places.

The TMOs will arrange for at least 10 vehicles from each union council of Karachi for President’s public meeting on April 28.—PPI