January 07, 2007	Sunday	Zilhaj 16, 1427

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MULTAN, Jan 6: Hundreds of vehicles were seized on Saturday to make the Punjab chief minister‘s meeting in Layyah successful on Sunday (today). Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi is visiting Layyah to inaugurate the Thal Canal Remodelling Project. Later, he will address a public meeting.

The administration of five districts — Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Bhakkar and Muzaffargarh – had been confiscating buses since Thursday and an official of the Layyah Revenue Department said that 375 buses and wagons were seized during the three days.

He said that the officials were distributing vehicles among union council nazims and the seized number was much greater than the required vehicles.

Passengers in Chowk Azam, Fatehpur, Layyah, Rajanpur, Jampur, Ghaosabad, Choti Zairin, Multan, Taunsa Sharif, Rakni, Bhakkar, Chowk Sarwar Shaheed, Kot Sultan, Paharpur, Chobara, Karor, Kot Chutta, Mehmoodkot, Khangarh, Sanawan, Rangpur, Shadan Lund, Shah Saddardin, Kala and Pir Adil faced problems and only motorcycle rickshaws were available on roads.

Vehicles travelling to Mianwali, Dera Ismail Khan and Lahore from Multan also faced officials’ wrath and were seized. Bus stands wore a deserted look.

A union council nazim from Layyah said that district nazim Malik Ghulam Haidar Thind had asked each union council nazim to bring 1,000 people to the meeting.

Muhammad Mohsin Sherazi, Layyah district coordinator officer, showed his ignorance over the ruthless seizure of vehicles and said that transporters had given their vehicles “voluntarily” to the district administration and the administration would pay all dues to transporters.

MUZAFFARGARH: Police impounded a large number of wagons and buses plying in the district to transport Pakistan Muslim League workers to Layyah.

All bus and van stands in Kotaddu, Muzaffargarh, Alipur and Jatoi were deserted because bus owners said that their buses had been seized. Those who had escaped seizure parked their vehicles in ‘safe’ places.

Coach driver Muhammad Iqbal said that on Jan 5 police stopped his van near Chowk Azam at 5pm and asked all the passengers to get off. Later, police drove the vehicle to Layyah without paying fare to the passengers. The passengers had to wait for another vehicle for four hours in the cold.

He said most of the passengers had to attend a wedding ceremony in Muzaffargarh and they reached there at 12am.

People, especially employees faced difficulties. They had to travel on trucks and tractor trolleys to reach their offices.

A bus charges Rs50 from Muzaffargarh to Layyah but lorry owners charged Rs100 from each passenger.

According to reports, all revenue officials, government teachers and other employees were ordered to attend the chief minister’s meeting otherwise they would be marked absent. Reports said that each union council nazim was given five wagons to bring people to the meeting.