RAWALPINDI, Aug 27: The prospects of a clash between Mutahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) workers and local administration loom large following the railway authorities’ refusal to permit any public meeting on the premises of railway station.
MMA leaders plan to address a gathering at Rawalpindi Railway Station on Tuesday in connection with their Peshawar-to-Karachi train march, which will form a launching pad for their election campaign.
The leadership of alliance has also expressed fears that the administration may thwart its proposed train march. However, they are adamant to go ahead with the train march.
The railway authorities declined to book a separate coach for MMA leaders who would now be travelling in the Economy Class of the 14-Down Awam Express which would arrive here from Peshawar at 12:40pm and depart at 1pm on Wednesday.
The railway administration, district police and district government held a meeting Tuesday evening to chalk out the strategy for countering the planned meeting at the railway station.
Sources told Dawn after the meeting that police would be deployed at the railway station, important crossings and the Al-Ikram Building — the city headquarters of Jamaat-i-Islami — at 9am on Wednesday.
The Islamabad administration is said to have received information that MMA workers may try to obstruct the train’s passage at some railway crossing in the city. The administration, sources said, had chalked out a strategy to counter any such eventuality.
OUR STAFF REPORTER ADDS: The MMA has finalised all arrangements for its train march on Wednesday, an MMA spokesman said.
The spokesman said that about 200 seats had been booked in the Karachi-bound Awami Express for the MMA caravan.
Senior MMA leaders, including its president Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, deputy president Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Maulana Fazlu Rehman, Maulana Samiul Haq, Prof Sajid Mir and Sajid Ali Naqvi, will lead the three-day march.
A rally will be held before start of the march.
The administration reluctantly gave permission for the march when MMA leaders promised that they would not create any law and order situation or create trouble for passengers.
The caravan participants will travel like ordinary passengers and will not interfere in the train’s travel schedule, the spokesman said.