Punjab govt allows MQM to hold convention outside Qaddafi Stadium
MQM chief Altaf Hussain appeals to the masses to deposit funds for holding the convention.
LAHORE:
The District Government of Lahore on Saturday allowed the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to hold a convention outside Qaddafi Stadium instead of the Minar-e-Pakistan on April 10.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, District Coordination Officer (DCO) Lahore Ahad Cheema said that the government had made foolproof arrangements to ensure security during the convention.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain has appealed to the masses to deposit funds for holding the convention.
Earlier, the Punjab government had refused to allow the MQM to hold a public meeting at Minar-e-Pakistan and proposed three alternative sites instead. The government had said that security could not be provided at an open place like Minar-e-Pakistan, and offered the Expo Center, Alhamra Hall and the Ferozpur Road as alternatives.
Observers feel that the PML-N-led Punjab government may have had political reasons for its refusal of permission to the MQM, particularly since the meeting in question was planned in conjunction with the PML-N’s rivals in the Punjab, the Quaid faction of the PML. The MQM and PML-Q have announced a political alliance for the 2013 Punjab Assembly elections in a bid to challenge the PML-N’s dominance in the province.
The District Government of Lahore on Saturday allowed the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to hold a convention outside Qaddafi Stadium instead of the Minar-e-Pakistan on April 10.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, District Coordination Officer (DCO) Lahore Ahad Cheema said that the government had made foolproof arrangements to ensure security during the convention.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain has appealed to the masses to deposit funds for holding the convention.
Earlier, the Punjab government had refused to allow the MQM to hold a public meeting at Minar-e-Pakistan and proposed three alternative sites instead. The government had said that security could not be provided at an open place like Minar-e-Pakistan, and offered the Expo Center, Alhamra Hall and the Ferozpur Road as alternatives.
Observers feel that the PML-N-led Punjab government may have had political reasons for its refusal of permission to the MQM, particularly since the meeting in question was planned in conjunction with the PML-N’s rivals in the Punjab, the Quaid faction of the PML. The MQM and PML-Q have announced a political alliance for the 2013 Punjab Assembly elections in a bid to challenge the PML-N’s dominance in the province.