PESHAWAR: The district administration has ordered closure of public and private educational institutions in the three kilometres vicinity of the Mufti Mahmood Conference, a public meeting organised by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl to be held here on Thursday (today).

A notification issued from the deputy commissioner’s office on Wednesday said a large crowd was expected to gather in the vicinity and educational institutions around the venue were prone to be affected.

It said there was apprehension among people of breach of peace and tranquility in the area because of the gathering. “Therefore all public and private educational institutions in the three kilometres vicinity of Kabootar Chowk, Ring Road and Dalazak Road up to Northern Bypass will remain closed on Thursday,” said the notification.

Party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and leaders of the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement, including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and others would address the conference to be held on the city’s Dalazak Road.

A statement issued by the party said the JUI-F organising committee in coordination with the police had worked out a traffic plan to avoid inconvenience to general public and facilitate participants of the conference. The vicinity has been decorated with party flags and banners while four large size screens have also been fixed.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2021