Dawn : Meetings to be allowed only at specified places: Sherpao

Meetings to be allowed only at specified places: Sherpao

By Syed Irfan Raza | October 22, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Oct 21: The government has decided to impose a complete ban on processions by political parties during their election campaigns and to allow public meetings only at specified places.

“We cannot outrightly ban election campaigns of the political parties. Therefore, they will be allowed to hold public meetings at places to be specified by the provincial governments,” Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao told Dawn on Sunday.

The minister said that some opposition parties had adversely reacted to the proposal for a ban on rallies, processions and public gatherings, therefore, the government had decided to ban processions.

He said that the centre had invited provincial government’s suggestions on the issue and they had come up with proposals that there must be a complete ban on rallies and processions, but public meetings should be allowed at specified places.

Replying to a question about reports regarding a proposal for an All Parties Conference to work out a plan for a ban on processions during the election, the minister said: “No final decision has been made so far for holding such a conference,” he said.

He said the consent of all political parties was imperative for imposing a ban on processions.

“We are trying to make foolproof security arrangements for elections and the decision of ban had been taken to ensure safety of politicians and their workers,” he said.

The interior minister said the provincial governments had also been asked to work in cooperation with leaders of various political parties’ for finalising arrangements for public gatherings during the election campaign.

“The government needs cooperation of all political parties to maintain peace and thwart terrorist and subversive activities during the polls.

The parties would have to accept the places to be specified by the provincial government for holding public gatherings, he said.

Replying to a question about Karachi blasts, the minister said it had been confirmed that both were suicide attacks. The investigators, he added, had found heads of the suspected suicide bombers and there was no crater on the site of the blasts which usually resulted from explosions carried out by planted devices.