ISLAMABAD: The civic authorities have stopped PPP workers from putting up streamers near Zero Point advertising a public meeting being held on Dec 5 to mark the founding of the party.

In response, the PPP has filed an application against the director of the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) with the Aabpara police.

The party’s Punjab information secretary, Mustafa Nawaz Khokar, said that in a city “where a religious group held residents hostage” and the civic authorities were “unmoved”, the party had obtained approval from the district administration hold the public meeting at Parade Avenue and put up streamers.

He added that the civic authorities were not allowing them to display streamers and banners despite the fact that they were ready to pay the fee to do so.

“We asked the Islamabad Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Mushtaq Ahmed to let us display banners, streamers and party flags to advertise the public meeting, after getting approval from the district administration to hold the meeting at Parade Avenue. The DC issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) to us,” he added.

According to the NOC, which is available with Dawn, the district administration has no objection to banners, streamers and flags put up from Faisal Masjid Chowk to Airport Chowk from Nov 23 to Dec 5 for advertisement of the public meeting, and the event organisers will be responsible for paying the authorities.

Mr Khokar said members of his team met with DMA Director Ali Sofyan and offered to pay the fees, but the authorities did not give them a positive response.

He said that while party workers were putting up banners near Zero Point on Tuesday, employees from the civic authority arrived to stop them, and removed the already displayed streamers.

“My workers had a heated argument with them but they stopped displayed the banners, as we are law-abiding citizens and did not want to make an issue. However, we have submitted an application with the Aabpara police against the DMA director,” he added.

Mr Khokar said he was “shocked” by the authorities’ attitude, as they “did not move when a religious group came to the federal capital and displayed their banners and flags and blocked roads and damaged the environment”. He added: “However, a political party that is ready to pay the fee is not allowed to display its banners.”

But according to Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad Chief Metropolitan Officer Asad Kayani – who is also the Capital Development Authority’s Member Planning – although companies and corporations are allowed to advertise in the capital – and are charged a fee by the authority – political parties cannot do the same.

“We are not authorised to allow any party to display its banners, so it is not possible to accept a fee and allow the PPP to put up streamers,” Mr Kayani said.

Banners featuring the ruling PML-N have been displayed in the city before, as have banners in favour of the relatives of PML-N leadership, and have not been removed by the civic authorities.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2017