LAHORE, May 11: Nazims of Lahore, although backed by police and district administration, were struggling on Friday to gather people for Saturday’s rally in Islamabad.

Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi left for Islamabad after presiding over a meeting of the Lahore PML, giving them final instructions with regard to the arrangements. Official media team, the chief minister’s advisers and selected senior government officials also left for Islamabad.

Hundreds of airconditioned buses “hired” through “negotiations” by police, district administration and the regional transport authority were parked either at Minto Park or near the Qadhafi Stadium to ensure their presence at the time of the departure for Islamabad on Saturday morning.

The Lahore Muslim League was still trying to get more buses to meet its target of 900 vehicles, which would transport the expected 30,000 “PML activists” to the rally.

The arrangement nevertheless deserted inter-city bus terminals, creating immense problems for passengers who had no choice but to use railway to reach their destinations. Countless passengers, including women and children not aware of the situation, were seen stranded at the city’s inter-city bus terminals.

The buses have been “hired” at the flat rate of Rs20,000 each which many transporters said were less than the actual fare. Half of the amount was stated to be paid to the transporters in advance who were still doubtful of the full payment despite assurances and press statements by the PML leaders and Lahore Nazim Mian Amer.

Non-airconditioned wagons and buses were taken off the city roads by their owners in anticipation of their engagement for the rally despite the clear message that they would not be hired for the purpose.

This created dearth of public transport, making people to face a great deal of inconvenience. Many were seen walking to their destinations.

PML activists and government officials continued to claim that the fare would be paid by the Punjab PML claiming that its office-bearers and activists like Mian Amer, minister Abdul Aleem Khan, and almost all Lahore town nazims had enough money to foot the bill. “Every MNA and MPA from Lahore has also contributed for the rally,” they said.

An official said the nazims in Lahore and elsewhere had been asked to repay the favours they had been enjoying for the past many years. The local governments had been given billions of rupees and there had been no audit of the expenditure. “They have again been assured further patronage,” he said on the condition of anonymity.

Every union council nazim in Lahore had been asked to manage 200 participants. When asked, insiders explained that all members of the union councils and the 10-member PML committee in every UC would gather 10 each people, thus meeting the target.