Two days ahead of the rally on October 28, Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) has increased the preparations to gather around 1,50,000 persons in a rally from Nasir Bagh to Bhaati Chowk.
Final drills have commenced with active participation of party activists and leaders. A motorcycle rally consisting of 4,000 motorcyclists has been planned for October 27.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has constituted over 20 committees to monitor the arrangements. Parliamentarians have also been assigned the task to mobilize party workers and general public in their respective constituencies.
PML-N Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Shahbaz Ahmed chaired a meeting on transport arrangements. It was decided that the government owned vehicles will not be used, instead around 2000 wagons and 500 buses will be hired which will cost Rs 3 million.
Door-to-door awareness campaign regarding the rally has been planned, while publicity vehicles have already started moving around the city to raise awareness regarding the protest rally.
Meanwhile, PML-N Member National Assembly (MNA) Khawaja Saad Rafiq said in a press conference on Tuesday that the PML-N rally would prove to be referendum against the federal government. He said that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani should not assume PML-N to be complacent. He said that the PML-N rally was against load shedding, corruption and inflation, adding that the protest would continue until the termination of present government.
PML-N MPA Khawaja Imran Nazir told Pakistan Today that Shahbaz Sharif had been holding meetings to review preparations of the rally, daily. Special committees regarding security, mobilization, transport, publicity, discipline and other issues were working towards making the rally a success, he added. He said that the routes of vehicles had been allotted according to respective constituencies.
PML-N MPA Farah Deeba said that every constituency was actively participating by holding review meetings, corner meetings and mobilization meetings for the rally. She said that the youth will play an important role during the rally. “I have personally communicated with youth wing and cultural wing besides NGOs and members of civil societies to put their maximum contribution to hold thunderous rally as it is not a political rally but a rally for survival of Pakistan,” she said.
All out efforts to salvage the PML-N’s pride
