LAHORE, Feb 9: President Pervez Musharraf will address two public meetings at two important divisional headquarters of Punjab next week, rejecting the opposition’s criticism that he had impaired his impartiality as the head of state by throwing his weight behind the ruling coalition.

One meeting will be held in Gujranwala on Feb 16 and the other in Faisalabad a day later.

In all public meetings addressed by him in the past, the president had consistently been urging the voters to support the progressive and liberal people in the next elections as “this is the only way to ensure the continuity of his policies”. In his speeches, the president has also been criticising the exiled leaders and stressing that they had no role to play in the future.

Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi presided over a meeting of the ministers and legislators from the two divisions on Friday to discuss arrangements and steps needed to ensure a bigger turnout.

Kashmir Committee chairman Hamid Nasir Chattha, federal ministers Chaudhry Wasi Zafar and Shahid Anwar Bhinder, provincial ministers Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, Chaudhry Iqbal and Rana Shamshad Ahmad Khan, Sohail Zafar Cheema, Joyce Rufin Julius, Zille Huma and others attended the meeting.

PPP-Patriots MNA from Gujranwala Chaudhry Imranullah joined the ruling PML, expressing confidence in the leadership of Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and the chief minister.

His decision has further weakened the position of the PPP-Patriots as those still left behind are, apparently, left with no option but to follow suit.

The PPP-Patriots comprises the defectors from the PPP of Ms Benazir Bhutto. Chairman of the breakaway faction, Rao Sikandar Iqbal had recently said the group would stay intact. However, secretary-general Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat said President Musharraf would decide their future course of action.

Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi is scheduled to address a public meeting in Garhi Shahu Chowk on Sunday.

Last Sunday, he had addressed a public meeting in Sabzazar, where he enumerated the steps he had taken for the development of a city known as the political capital of the country.

Observers say these meetings will create an election atmosphere, although the government says they will be held by the end of the current year.

Meanwhile, former Punjab governor Mian Muhammad Azhar will stay with the ruling PML as his supporters have reportedly advised him not to join the PPP.