ISLAMABAD, Aug 2: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has vowed to hold a public meeting at Liaquat Bagh on Aug 14 even if the government puts a ban on such gatherings, sources told Dawn on Saturday.

The sources said the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-N had already started arrangements for the public meeting despite reports that the government might impose a ban on the rally.

The call for the public meeting was jointly given by the ARD and the MMA in the APCs held in Lahore and Islamabad in July. However, the two alliances developed differences when the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) announced that it was ready to accept President Gen Musharraf in uniform for one year.

The growing differences caused the two alliances to seek separate permissions from the city administration for the rally.

The MMA is also finalizing its own arrangements for the public meeting and a meeting in this connection was held at the residence of MNA from Rawalpindi Mohammad Hanif Abbasi on Friday.

The ARD leaders said they had not sought the government permission, but only informed the administration about its decision to hold the public meeting.

Talking to Dawn, MMA leader Hanif Abbassi claimed that the Nazim had given permission to the religious alliance to hold the meeting.

However, when contacted, the city administration denied that it had given permission to any one. “The requests of the two alliances have been referred to the Punjab government, which would make a final decision on it,” an official said.

Meanwhile, sources in the district administration told Dawn that there were chances that the government might impose a ban on public meeting at Liaquat Bagh and would not allow anyone to hold the rally.

The Secretary of the ARD parliamentary group, Mr Izhar Amrohvi, said Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan had directed the PPP and PML-N to continue their arrangements for the public meeting. He said if the government imposed a ban on the rally, then public meetings would be held on every chowk and in every street of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. “The responsibility for any law and order situation on that day will be on the government,” he added.

Replying to a question, Mr Amrohvi said the Aug 14 meeting would be the beginning of the protest movement against the military-led Jamali government.

“The ARD is unable to understand why the MMA is insisting on holding the rally after having accepted Gen Musharraf as president in uniform for one year,” he said.