January 27, 2006	Friday	Zilhaj 26, 1426

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LAHORE, Jan 26: The Punjab government backed out of its promise of solving the mixed marathon issue with the MMA through a committee as no functionary contacted the religious alliance for a meeting of the body on Thursday.

MMA elders were holding a meeting late in the night in the city to devise their strategy in the wake of the government’s ‘change of heart.’

Chief minister Pervaiz Elahi and an MMA delegation had on Wednesday agreed on forming a 10-man committee which was to visit the marathon route on Thursday and decide how to keep women participants to the international event separate from their male counterparts.

Law minister Raja Basharat did not attend his phone when contacted for comments.

The alliance leaders are of the view that women should run within the bounds of the Qadhafi Stadium, away from the ‘glares of Na Mahram’.

The government sees no harm in the mixed run and seeks cooperation of the MMA, saying all proceeds of the registration for the event will go to the President’s Relief Fund for the Oct 8 quake victims.

The registration fee per head is Rs100 and organizers are expecting around 20,000 participants, means a collection of Rs2 million.

MMA officials, after statements of the governor and other government functionaries that it would be a mixed run come what may, fear that the authorities will now resort to arrests of alliance’s activists by Friday night to avert disruption of the marathon.

However, they vow to use their resources for obstructing, what they say, the unethical activity.

Law enforcers may picket entry points to Lahore on Saturday to block caravans of MMA activists coming from other cities to throng the Qadhafi Stadium, the starting point of the run being held on Sunday.

The Lahore SSP has already warned of cases under anti-terrorism laws if anyone tried to create trouble during the event.

Wary of religious parties’ reaction, the government as a precautionary measure is distributing a leaflet among those coming for registration that the marathon may be cancelled “under some unavoidable circumstances.”