November 09, 2007	Friday	Shawwal 27, 1428

RAWALPINDI, Nov 8: Stage is set for a showdown on Friday as the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is determined to hold a public gathering at the historic Liaquat Bagh showing maximum strength of the jiyalas (diehard supporters) in defiance of the local administration that has imposed Section 144 (ban on public gatherings) in the city.

City Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas has said that the district administration would not allow an assembly of 10 people inside the Liaquat Bagh while the PPP’s local leadership has vowed that party workers would break any barrier in their way to the venue and warned that the jiyalas were ready to face any challenge in this regard.

PPP Punjab President Shah Mehmood Qureshi told Dawn that the government had twice removed the banners installed in connection with the Liaquat Bagh event; however, he said that the move would not stop the people from reaching the venue of the gathering.

He claimed that the police had launched massive crackdown on party workers and office-bearers, and there were reports that hundreds had already been arrested in different parts of the country, particularly in Punjab.

Mr Qureshi said the party leadership was also receiving threats but they had decided to take risk for the cause of democracy and the people of the country.

He said the party was all set to hold a long march from Lahore to Islamabad on Nov 13 come what may. “It would be a caravan-i-jamhooriat (procession for democracy) and not the caravan-i-PPP,” he added.

The riot police have been deployed at Faizabad, Stadium Road, Chandni Chowk, Committee Chowk, Sixth Road and Fawara Chowk in order to prevent the processions from reaching venue while a large number of police has also been deployed at the office of Rescue-15, located in front of Liaquat Bagh.

A source in the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) told this scribe that the district administration had sought the agency’s “help in completely watering the ground of Liaquat Bagh in order to make it muddy for the PPP’s event”.

However, the source said that the agency told the district administration that it was impossible to water the vast ground with Wasa tankers.

Meanwhile, the authorities on Thursday removed the banners, posters and signboards installed by PPP workers as part of the planned rally. More than 20 elected representatives of the PPP have been arrested including Naib Nazim Nasir Mir in a move to refrain them from mobilising people for the gathering.

City Nazim Raja Ikhlas reiterated that 22 suicide bombers had entered Rawalpindi who could target the PPP gathering and insisted that the rally would not be allowed at any cost.

However, PPP leaders including Amir Fida Paracha, Khurram Rasool and Sohail Pasha said that the administration would not be able to stop party workers from the rally as they had mobilised them to reach the venue at all costs.

7,500 POLICEMEN DEPLOYED: As the showdown is looming between the Pakistan People’s Party’s workers and the police, the district administration has made arrangements to seal the city on Friday morning by deploying about 7,500 police personnel and putting heavy containers on entry points.

Police, who got wide powers of arrest after emergency was declared in the country, had been able to round up only 90 PPP workers in Rawalpindi division, despite a massive crackdown. In line with the PPP leadership’s directives, party leaders and workers had gone into hiding to avoid arrest.

However, the police have been preparing to flex its muscles by deploying the personnel equipped with anti-riot tolls and armoured personnel carrier vans (APC) to handle the situation, in both cases either PPP rally is held or postponed.

A senior police official revealed that the city will be virtually sealed to stop the PPP workers from gathering at Liaquat Bagh.

Besides, calling the Punjab Constabulary’s 12 platoons, each comprising 53 personnel, contingents of police have also been called from Gujrat, Narowal, Mianwali,Khushab, Sargodha, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Hafizabad to assist the Rawalpindi police.

As part of the security arrangements, 130 police pickets have been set up on different roads leading towards Liaquat Bagh, and 30 police posts have also been set up in the city.

Similarly, security arrangements have been made in Islamabad as the capital police have been directed to stop PPP leaders and workers from heading towards Rawalpindi.

City Police Chief Saud Aziz on Thursday night held a session with senior security officers to review the security arrangements chalked out for the rally.

Meanwhile, the three state-run hospitals in Rawalpindi have been placed on high alert. A senior doctor at the District Headquarters Hospital said they were told to take all emergency arrangements for Friday.

RENOVATION OR RALLY: While the PPP was adamant to hold its planned public gathering at the Liaquat Bagh, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has announced to complete the renovation of Liaquat Bagh as early as possible signalling its intention to convert the historic place into a sole recreational facility in the future.

A day before the intended PPP public meeting, RDA Director- General Brig (retd) Parvez Mahmood Khan chaired a meeting of concerned officials here on Thursday to take stock of development work to make the Liaquat Bagh a public park.

“Liaquat Bagh has the historical importance and the renovation must beautify its actual architecture and original theme,” he said.

The renovation plan includes setting up of an international standard restaurant with a tuck shop, and placement of three dinosaur-model slides for the attraction and amusement of children.

A project has also been started to lay grass and plant small trees there. For the entertainment of ladies and children, a ladies park and playground were also being created.

RDA expects 25 to 35 per cent population of Rawalpindi to benefit from the beautification and renovation plan, where facilities of jogging-track, cricket ground and badminton court were also being created.

Rawalpindi is a richly vibrant city where there is no dearth of popular tourist attractions. If Islamabad - the seat of federal government - represents the progressive face of Pakistan, Rawalpindi represents the quaint classical charm of mediaeval Pakistan.