RAWALPINDI, June 10: District administration and local police here on Tuesday failed to persuade the leaders of the protesting lawyers to change their long march route that would proceed on a road also used to access the Army House.

Both district coordinator and city police officers held a meeting with the presidents of both district and high court bar associations and asked them to divert their march from Swan towards Gulraiz colony and avoid passing through Kachari Chowk near the Camp office residence of President Pervez Musharraf.

High Court Bar Association (HCBA) President Sardar Asmatullah talking to Dawn said the government officials asked them to change their route as army house had expressed reservations over the passage of lawyers’ procession from Jehlum Road near army house.

The lawyers conveyed to the administration that they would not change their proposed route and assured the law enforcers that the protesters would not march towards the army house and would remain peaceful in their protests.

Rawalpindi police meanwhile gave final touches to the security arrangements for the long march. Reserves of Punjab constabulary would be deployed in addition to the present 7500 police personnel.

The lawyers on the other hand remained busy in making their preparation for receiving the marching lawyers that would reach Rawalpindi on June 13. They set up two more camps at district courts and at Fawara Chowk in addition to one established at Liaqat Bagh to motivate common man for long march.