BAHAWALPUR, March 19: Opposition leaders have expressed their disappointment over the uplift package announced by President Pervez Musharraf for the district during his public meeting. MMA deputy parliamentary leaders in the Punjab Assembly, Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar, PML-N MPA Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar, former MPA Samiullah Chaudhry, former MNA Chaudhry Mumtaz Ahmad Jajja, activist Saud Majeed Chaudhry, PPP?s district media coordinator Saleem Bhatti and city president Shakir Mirza said in their statements ?hollow announcements? by the president could not misguide the masses. They said hundreds of thousands of rupees spent on the visit of the president were wasted, as these could have easily been utilized on the welfare of the people. Dr Akhtar said the president had no right to address a public meeting because he had not fulfilled the promise of taking his uniform off. However, if he was keen on moving politically, he should first remove his uniform. Saud Chaudhry said it was regrettable that the Bahawalpur city was sealed on Musharraf?s visit and people were transported to the meeting on impounded vehicles. The situation landed the general public in a difficulty, he added.

The two PPP leaders, who were reportedly taken into custody for their anti-government stance and later released, iterated that Musharraf should take off his uniform.

However, BCCI President Chaudhry Abdul Sattar has welcomed the president?s announcement of setting up a new industrial state on the Yazman Road.

PROTEST: Lawyers in the district observed strike on Saturday to express their support for the community in Gujjar Khan and Rawalpindi, which has been protesting against alleged misbehaviour of judicial officers.

Litigants, who came from far-off places, faced inconvenience in the absence of lawyers.

MEHFIL-I-QIRAT: A mehfil-i-qirat was organized by the district auqaf department here on Saturday. Qaris from several countries recited verses from the Holy Quran.