LAHORE, March 24: The ruling PML resolved here on Saturday to counter the opposition’s “negative moves” against the government through political means, and decided to hold peaceful rallies of lawyers and workers in all districts of Punjab on March 28, in Lahore on April 2 and Islamabad a day later.

The party’s provincial working committee at a meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi extended full support to President Musharraf and said the party would let its adversaries know the overwhelming public following the general had because of his policies and services to the country.

The meeting was held a day after the chief minister met the traders’ representatives and advised them not to play into the hands of the opposition parties which had called for countrywide protests on Monday.

Leaders of what was once the PPP-Patriots before the group’s merger with the PML attended the working committee meeting for the first time, and were welcomed by all participants. Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal was among them.

A resolution passed by the participants said the opposition’s protest call for Monday was undemocratic and unnecessary. The opposition should not try to exploit the constitutional issues to achieve its political objectives, it said.

Moved by Arshad Khan Lodhi, the resolution also called upon the opposition not to try to pit various state institutions against one another.

Another resolution, moved by Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal, expressed confidence in the policies of President Musharraf, and advised the lawyers to keep themselves away from the political parties.

Pervaiz Elahi, referring to the police action against the lawyers when they tried to hold a rally in the city recently, said the government could not be held responsible for it. He said the protesters had beaten up some police officials as a result of which some of the colleagues of the ‘victims’ had retaliated. Steps taken in self-defence could not be characterised as violence, he argued.

The chief minister alleged that the lawyers affiliated to various opposition parties were trying to mar the situation. According to him, some lawyers received instructions from their exiled leaders and were responsible for whatever had happened on the day of protest. The ruling party would, however, not stay idly by and would face its opponents politically.

He said security arrangements had been made for opposition’s rallies as it was the government’s duty to protect the lives and properties of all people.

About the presidential reference against Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, the chief minister said it was a constitutional step.

Pervaiz Elahi said the government was taking all possible steps to solve the people’s problems. The president, he said, had already announced a monthly subsistence allowance of Rs10,000 for all the jobless who had done their master’s in various disciplines.

Also, he said jobs were being created both in the government and public sectors.

Secretary-General Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, Information Secretary and Minister of State Kamil Ali Agha were also among the participants.