LAHORE, May 2: The Lahore organisation of the ruling PML and leaders of various professional wings of the party decided at a meeting here on Wednesday to make the May 12 rally in support of President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad the biggest-ever in the history of the capital.

The major objective of the exercise is to let the opposition parties know that President Musharraf has a vast following throughout the country.

Opposition parties and the lawyers have been holding rallies every time Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry appeared before the Supreme Judicial Council. As the turnout in the rallies has gradually been increasing, the ruling party feels it should also show its strength to opponents.

President Musharraf is scheduled to address the rally, participants of which will come from all four provinces.

Mian Muhammad Munir addressed the Wednesday meeting at the Muslim League House.

Provincial Senior Vice-President Arshad Khan Lodhi and Secretary-General Chaudhry Zaheeruddin were also present.

It is said the legislators and heads of the professional wings were asked to let the party know as to how many people would they be able to take to Islamabad.

According to a participant, the ruling party was thankful to President Musharraf for paying so much attention on the development of Punjab. The attendees were of the view that since the opposition parties were targeting the president, the ruling party should stand behind him and frustrate all intrigues against him.

Mian Abdus Sattar, Dr Farzana Nazeer, Khwaja Tahir Zia, Rana Muhammad Riaz, Saleem Chattha, Raza Ali Shams, Haji Tabrez Mehmud, Iwqbal Bhatty, Mirza Kashif Ali, Shahana Farooqi and Fayyaz Bhatty also attended the meeting.

Chaudhry Zaheeruddin told the participants that there was no possibility of a deal between the PPP and the government. He claimed that a disunited opposition would not be able to face the united ruling coalition in the polls.

Mian Munir said the results of the general elections would be amazing for the opposition parties.