01 November 2004	Monday	17 Ramazan 1425

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LAHORE, Oct 31: The government has made all arrangements for transporting the body of Mian Sharif directly to Raiwind by a helicopter as soon as a PIA flight carrying the body lands at the airport whereas the PML-N is determined to hold funeral prayers at Data Sahib's shrine on Monday.

PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif's spokesman Farrukh Shah told Dawn late on Sunday night that prayers in absentia would be held at the shrine if the government did not allow them to bring the coffin into the city.

"If the government tried to stop workers from reaching the downtown venue, a decision to break the siege would be taken on the spot," he added.

Official sources say that the higher authorities have directed immediate transportation of Mian Sharif's body to Jati Umra, Raiwind, and its burial by 11.00am on Monday.

The body is likely to reach the Lahore airport at 8.00am.

The officials say that no-one will be barred from attending the funeral prayers at Raiwind.

A six by five feet grave has been dug at Sharif Medical Complex, Raiwind, and police have been deployed around it.

Demarcation for building a mosque and a seminary, according to the will of late Sharif, has also been made at the site as work on the project will be executed soon.

Mr Shah said only family doctor and personal servant of late Sharif was accompanying the body from Jeddah to Lahore as the widow of the dead had refused to return home without her sons.

A family member told Dawn from Jeddah that Saudi authorities had made last minute effort to convince the Pakistan government allow the Sharifs to attend last rites of their elder in Lahore.

In case of success, the entire family would have travelled to Lahore by a chartered plane, he added, without giving the reasons behind the failure of the Saudia efforts.

A meeting of the PML-N minority wing meanwhile condemned the government for barring the Sharifs from coming to Pakistan. It decided to participate in the funeral service for Mian Sharif wearing black arm bands.

POLICE DEPLOYMENT: Security was enhanced in the provincial metropolis on Sunday.

By the time of filing this report at 10pm on Sunday, police were busy in re-assessing the steps taken for the burial.

"A helipad has been prepared at the Raiwind estate, which means the body will be flown there directly from the Lahore airport by a chopper," a senior police officer involved in security arrangements said.

He said that everybody who wanted to attend the funeral would be allowed except those who would try to create any law and order problem. "All routes leading to Raiwind will be manned (by police) but there will be no barricade," he said.

Final security plan suggests that more than 1,000 policemen besides plainclothesmen and intelligence personnel will be on duty in and around the Lahore airport. Thorough body search will be carried out at all entry and exit points (of the airport) and nobody, except ticket-holders and staff, would be allowed in. Most of the roads leading to the airport would be barricaded from 7am to 11pm.

In view of PML-N threats of holding demonstrations, a large number of policemen would be available to handle any situation.

All roads and streets around the shrine would be manned by police commandos and plainclothesmen besides the deployment of riot police. Similar arrangements will be in place on The Mall and Model Town.

Meanwhile, all entry and exit points of the city were barricaded on Sunday evening to keep a vigil on PML-N workers entering the city from other towns.