KARACHI, Dec 5: It was a day of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's tri-colour flag as party staged a massive show of strength by organizing a huge public meeting, which was attended by people from all walks of life , including Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim and provincial minister Imtiaz Shaikh.

The MQM's decision to organize a public meeting was made after the right-wing alliance of the religious parties in the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal held an impressive meeting opposing retention of military and civilian post by Gen Musharraf.

Almost the entire city was wrapped up with tri-coloured MQM flags, huge banners, signboards carrying photographs of party chief Altaf Hussain. Muttahida activists varying party flags and Mr Hussain's pictures flocked to the venue of the public meeting on foot and by all means of transport.

Young men criss-crossed the city roads on motorbikes carrying party flag. The local sectors of the MQM also provided transport facility to the people of their respective areas.

Hundreds of buses carrying a number of people from different areas came to M.A. Jinnah Road. A large number of people from interior of Sindh also came to the city to attend the meeting.

The local units of MQM had set up make-shift camps throughout the city to welcome people coming from far flung areas. Muttahida workers showered petals on people, who were going to attend the public meeting.

The Nishtar Park was completely filled with people much before the address of Altaf Hussain. Muttahida workers had arranged separate parking for the buses, private vehicles and motorcycles near the venue of the meeting and on M.A. Jinnah Road.

All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organization (APMSO), the students' wing of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, along with personnel of traffic police were seen controlling the traffic on roads leading to the Nishtar Park.

Police and Rangers took extraordinary security arrangements for the Muttahida's public meeting. Heavy contingent of police and paramilitary forces were seen patrolling on M.A. Jinnah Road and the streets nearby the park.

Policemen were also deployed on the rooftops of the nearby buildings and in the streets leading to the venue. The city remained peaceful throughout the day and no violence was reported from any part of the city on Sunday.

However, vehicular traffic was disturbed on M.A. Jinnah Road, as Muttahida workers had closed one side of the busy artery for private and public vehicles without any prior announcement.