LAHORE, Sept 12: Punjab Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Liaquat Baloch called on Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi on Sunday to seek his help for permission for holding party's annual congregation in the city.

The city district government is reluctant to allow the three-day congregation proposed to be held at the Minar-i-Pakistan grounds on Oct 1, 2, and 3. Earlier, the Jamaatud Daawa had been disallowed to hold any function on the place, though specified for organizing political activities by the district government, on Aug 14.

Mr Baloch told reporters after the meeting that the chief minister neither gave positive nor negative response to his request. However, he was hopeful that the government would permit them to hold the congregation keeping in view the past record of the party whose workers had never indulged in violence during any such event. The congregation is likely to be attended by 300,000 people, including women and children, as per claim of the Jamaat officials.

TRIBUTE: Speakers at a seminar paid rich tributes to the services of the late Sheikh Rashid for the cause of the down-trodden and working class at the Press Club here on Sunday.