LAHORE, May 2: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said on Wednesday that in the first phase of its protest movement public meetings would be held at the level of district headquarters in all provinces, starting with Punjab.

Party president Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will address the meetings. The first meeting will be held in Taxila on Sunday.

This will be followed by meetings in Gujranwala on May 7, Bahawalpur and Sargodha on May 8, Rawalpindi and Multan on May 10, Sialkot on May 11 and Gujrat on May 12.

Dates for meetings in other provinces will be announced after consultations with relevant party organisations, says a PML-N statement.

A senior party official told Dawn that long marches or caravans would also be organised in the four provinces with the aim of mobilising the masses and the party cadre for next elections.

The marches will terminate in provincial capitals.

The plan, the official said, had been prepared to negate a perception that the anti-government movement existed only in Punjab.

The decision for a march on Islamabad will be taken if the government sticks to its refusal to implement the Supreme Court verdict against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The leadership, the official said, had directed the organisers not to mention elections during the mass contact drive and concentrate on the PPP’s refusal to implement the court’s verdict.

Replying to a question, the official said, the party had extended the hand of cooperation to Imran Khan’s Tehrik-i-Insaaf knowing what the response would be.

“It was done to offset any criticism that efforts were not made to unite all forces against the PPP government’s attitude.