MUZAFFARGARH, Oct 30: The district administration removed encroachments along all city roads on Tuesday for the first time in 10 years.

It just happened ahead of the visit of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi to the city who will arrive in the district on Nov 1. It is his second visit to the district. Earlier, he toured the city in 2004.

Dawn learnt the deputy superintendent of police (city) ordered his force to take action against encroachers along the main road as the chief minister would travel on this route. The police arrested tea stall owners and vegetable and fruit vendors.

District officials said during his visit, Pervaiz Elahi would lay foundation stone of Muzaffargarh Ring Road project and a labour colony and open a social security hospital and two schools for labourers.

The Social Security Hospital has 350 beds with an emergency and a burn unit. The officials said the chief minister would also go to Alipur where he would address a public meeting.

Sources said all teachers and other provincial department officials had been told to attend the meeting or face action.

City police station house officer Yousaf Khan said police officials along with Muzaffargarh Tehsil Municipal Administration officials had warned all illegal stall owners two days ago to remove their kiosks, but no one followed their orders.

The district administration cleaned all city roads and whitewashed graffiti chanting welcoming slogans for Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and replaced it with slogans welcoming the chief minister.

Earlier, the chief minister was to land in Kot Addu to open Taunsa Barrage Rehabilitation Project, but later the plan was changed.

With the announcement of the chief minister’s visit to the district, every political figure claims that the chief minister is blessing the district with his visit on his invitation.

A group of members of the provincial assembly — Jawad Kamran Khar, Qaswar Langrial, Imtiaz Aleem Qureshi, Allah Wasaya Leghari and Ahmad Yar Hinjra — say Mr Pervaiz Elahi is visiting the district at their invitation.

Former district nazim Sultan Hinjra and former member of the National Assembly (MNA) Malik Noor Rabbani Khar and MNA Ashiq Gopang are also raising the same claim.

New entrants to Pakistan Muslim League Khalid Gurmani and Nawabzada Iftikhar Khan are also in the race of claimants for inviting the chief minister to the district.

It is expected that Pervaiz Elahi will announce a number of development projects for Alipur and Jatoi so as to diminish the influence of District Nazim Qayyum Jatoi in these areas.

The Punjab government did not let the district nazim carry out development projects in the last two years, and the matter of the last two budgets is in court.

Also, provincial ministers Rana Qasim Noon and Chaudhry Zaheeruddin arrived in the city and checked security arrangements.

A PPP district official said they had planned protests and a black day at the arrival of the chief minister for his role in hampering development projects in the district.—Correspondent