March 21, 2007	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 1, 1428

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LAHORE, March 20: The Punjab government has allowed only peaceful processions and demonstrations by the lawyers, but it will certainly take action in case of violence by them.

“Political elements will not be allowed to become part of any such peaceful procession or demonstration,” officials informed Dawn here on Tuesday.

The lawyers would not be stopped from taking out a procession on The Mall in Lahore where such activities were banned under Section 144. Just a few days ago the government had extended the ban for another month, they said.

They said heavy contingents of police would remain deployed in Lahore and elsewhere in the province, but they would act only in case of violence by any of the protestors. The police presence was necessary to avert any sabotage during the presence of so many lawyers, they added.

The officials passed on the information after a meeting of the provincial cabinet during which Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi asked all district nazims, DCOs and heads of police in all cities to immediately contact the district and tehsil bar councils to decide a code of ethics for the protests.

The meeting was held in view of the countrywide protests which the lawyers plan to hold on Wednesday (today) to condemn the removal of the chief justice of Pakistan and filing of a reference against him by President Gen Pervez Musharraf, and police action against their community and journalists afterwards.

The police had used force to disallow lawyers in Lahore on Saturday last to take out a procession on The Mall, resorting to massive teargas shelling and baton-charge, injuring many of them.

Official sources said the provincial government had now changed its strategy in view of directions by the federal government. It would try to separate political elements from the protesting lawyers on Wednesday and afterwards.

They said the chief minister had now engaged district nazims to handle the situation as a belated realisation that under the devolution plan law and order was their (nazims) subject which the government could not directly handle in districts.

Presiding over the cabinet meeting, the chief minister asked the nazims, DCOs and police chiefs to keep liaison with the lawyers and allow them to register their protests within a legal framework.

He said the protection of the private and public property was the basic responsibility of the government, therefore, it would continue to perform its duty.

The chief minister asked the officials to motivate the lawyer bodies to refrain from taking law into their hands during their protests and taking any step in violation of the code which could prompt the government to adopt ‘necessary’ measures.

He said the lawyers were permitted to record their protest on constitutional issues within the domain of law. “They should present their point of view at the relevant platforms or through the media instead of resorting to violence.”

DEVELOPMENT PLAN: The cabinet approved a Rs50 billion development plan for seven major cities in the province. The cities are: Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sargodha and Bahawalpur.

Officials said the funds would be provided either by the donor agencies or by the provincial government for constructing roads, providing drinking water and sewerage system, and installing water treatment plants in these cities during the next three years.

A sizeable amount of the budget would be used for improving the resource generation capabilities of these cities through various means, including human resource development.

The planning and development board and the finance department would evolve strategy for the execution of the programme.

The cabinet also approved an action plan for the protection of environment in the province.