April 19, 2002	Friday	Safar 5, 1423

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SARGODHA, April 18: The local police on Thursday continued to impound vehicles in various parts of the district to carry a maximum number of people to president’s public rally at a local stadium on April 22.

The police has reportedly been impounding vehicles in Sargodha for the last four days to ensure availability of transport on the stipulated date.

A police official told Dawn that most of the transporters did not ply their vehicles on their routine outings, although, the department concerned was making payments.

A transporter, requesting anonymity, said he had no objection to provide vehicles for referendum, if those concerned paid reasonable fares. The administration kept the vehicles with them for four days and they paid for only one day, he said.

It was learnt that the Millat Party placed its demand of 500 wagons and 200 buses.

Meanwhile, district Nazim Malik Amjad Ali Noon is busy seeking support from various groups while his allies PPP and Jamaat-i-Islami have not joined him in the referendum campaign.

POSTPONEMENT: President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s campaign rally in Sargodha might be postponed and its venue changed after some government agencies declared it unsafe.

Sources said renovation and decoration of the sports stadium and the president’s route was stopped after a team from Islamabad declared it unsafe. The renovation of the Circuit House is, however, continuing. Sources said the president might meet elected representatives from Sargodha, Mianwali, Khushab and Bhakkar districts there and receive some delegations.

Some politicians here, however, have advanced alternate explanations including apprehension of a poor response, advice against impounding of public transport vehicles and intelligence reports that harvesting of wheat might not allow farmers to attend the meeting.

Sources said the Sargodha tehsil administration had allocated Rs15 million for decorating the streets. The district government was said to have allocated about Rs3 million and the other tehsils another Rs2 million for the rally arrangements.