RAWALPINDI: The ruling PML-N and two opposition parties, Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s Awami Muslim League (AML), are preparing to hold public meetings during the coming few days.

PAT will be staging a sit-in at Aabpara Chowk on Saturday afternoon for three hours to protest the Model Town incident for which the party’s Islamabad and Rawalpindi chapters have been told to gather at least 5,000 people each. The Rawalpindi chapter has arranged for buses which will bring protestors to the federal capital.

Spokesperson for PAT Rawalpindi Sohail Abbasi told Dawn that party workers and supporters had been asked to gather at Faizabad from where buses will bring them to Aabpara for the sit-in at 3pm.

He said a rally would be held in the garrison city on August 16 as well and that the party had made all arrangements for ensuring the events a success and to show the ruling elite the importance of street power.

AML, on the other hand, has started campaigning for a public meeting on August 13.

“Party workers have started a door-to-door campaign in order to tell residents about the bad governance of the Punjab and federal governments,” said AML leader Sheikh Rashid Shafique.

He said the ruling PML-N had also announced a public meeting on the same day and road just to disturb AML’s meeting.

“We will lodge an FIR against the prime minister and the chief minister if PML-N local leaders tried to create a law and order situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the ruling party is making arrangements for ensuring the events planned by the opposition parties are not a success. Former MNA Hanif Abbasi started consultations with traders’ associations in the city for keeping them away from the opposition rallies and events and to ask them to join the PML-N public gathering.

Mr Abbasi said the local PML-N leaders were hosting a public meeting on August 13 which was not being held against any political party.

He invited the chairmen, vice-chairmen, councillors and representatives of all union councils in the party to Rawalpindi on Friday.

He said under the leadership of Mr Sharif, the ruling party was trying its best to make the country economically strong and prosperous.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2016