SAHIWAL: The district administration has permitted the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to organize a public meeting at the Shaikh Zafer Ali Stadium here on Nov 15.

The public meeting is part of a PTI campaign to mobilize the general public and expand its support base against sitting PML-N’s federal and Punjab governments.

PTI’s regional president Rai Hasan Nawaz said both district and divisional chapters would place 20,000 chairs in the stadium.

A gigantic stage (over 200 feet long with 15 feet high) with music and light system is being prepared in front of players’ enclosure.

Office-bearers of three districts have reportedly been given the task of mobilizing people to participate in the gathering.

Nabeela Khan, a PTI MPA elected on a reserved seat from Sahiwal, told Dawn that the party was concentrating on mobilizing women and the youth of Pakpattan, Okara and Sahiwal districts.

Fresh in mind the Multan tragedy, the district administration has created four entry and seven exit gates. Two gates will be reserved for the entry and exit of women.

The administration has created three new gates by demolishing outer walls of the stadium because one entry or exit point can cause Multan like stampede tragedy.

Mrs Rukhsana, West Punjab’s Women Wing president, said although three districts had feudal and rural structure, the party was mobilizing women and the educated youth at the union council level for the public meeting.

District president Shakeel Khan Niazi blamed that two TMA contractors were involved in removing PTI’s publicity material, including hoardings and steamers, from different parts of the city.

“We request the TMA administrator to warn the two contractors to be in their limits”, Mr Niazi said this while talking to media at the stadium.

Provincial president Ijaz Chaudhry, Dr Yasmeen Rashid and Sayeda Saloni Bokhari had already paid a visit to Sahiwal to make the PTI’s gathering a success.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2014