RAWALPINDI, April 28: Although the two rival political parties in Punjab, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, have entered the electoral fray, both are also fighting to get the historical Liaquat Bagh for the May 9 public meeting to show their strength two days prior to the polls.

The PTI did not directly submit the application to the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) for holding the public meeting.

Instead, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed submitted it and informed the CDGR that he and Imran Khan (PTI Chief) would jointly address the public on May 9.

Former Information Minister Sheikh Rashid had moved the application two weeks ago with the local administration while the PML-N was busy finalising its party candidates in the district.

The PML-N submitted its application with the CDGR on Thursday (April 25) to allow its party chief Nawaz Sharif to address a public meeting.The two applications for Liaquat Bagh had put the CDGR officials in confusion, and they consulted the matter with the local police and the election commission. They even contacted the caretaker Punjab government for the matter.

Finally, they decided to give the permission on a first-come-first-serve basis to Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to avoid any controversy.

However, the final decision will be conveyed to both parties within two to three days after meeting both parties` representatives.

`We will give permission to hold public meeting to those who applied first. All political parties are equally respectable for us and their national leaders are our leaders, but we will make the decision based on who came first,` said District Coordination Officer (DCO) Rashid Mehmood Langrial while talking to Dawn.

He said the administration`s basic aim was to facilitate all political parties and provide them with a level playing field under the supervision of Election Commission of Pakistan.However, PML-N City President and candidate for PP-12, Sardar Naseem, was confident the PML-N would get the permission for the public meeting at Liaquat Bagh on May 9. `Being the largest party at the national level, the CDGR will have to provide the space for PMLN which always held its last public meeting at that place,` he said.

When asked whether NawazSharif will come to Rawalpindi for the public meeting, he initially admitted Nawaz Sharif would come but later said the schedule was not announced yet.

He said the basic aim of the public meeting at Liaquat Bagh was to invite the PML-N leader.

When asked whether an alternate place was being considered, hesaid the Committee Chowk (a few yards away from Liaquat Bagh) would be ideal for the last meeting as it was on the junction of NA-55 and NA-56, the two main seats of the city.

Sheikh Rashid Shafique, former Nazim of Rawal Town and nephew of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, told Dawn that Sheikh Rashid had submitted the application with the DCO soon after the acceptance of his nomination papers.

`We will hold a public meeting at Liaquat Bagh at any cost where Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and PTI chief Imran Khan are scheduled to address the public,` Sheikh Shafique said, adding that Imran Khan would address the public meeting at Liaquat Bagh and later visit Islamabad for another public meeting the same night.

Liaquat Bagh is in the mid of the four national assembly seats NA-52, NA-54, NA-55 and NA-56, and has significance in the political history of the country.

All main leaders of the country, from Liaquat Ali Khan to ZulfikarAli Bhutto and from Benazir Bhutto to Nawaz Sharif, had addressed the gatherings at the ground.

Furthermore, two premiers, Liaquat Ali Khan and Benazir Bhutto, had been assassinated at that place after addressing public gatherings.

Liaquat Bagh Jalsa is known for its gathering where all political parties hold public meetings to show their strength.

However, the number of people in the gatherings has always been controversial as political parties claim over 100,000 people attended their meeting while officials claim only 25,000 to 30,000 people can be accommodated in the ground.

`The capacity of Liaquat Bagh is just 30,000 people if totally packed,` said former District Nazim Raja Tariq Kiani while talking to Dawn.

He said the claim of the parties was wrong as they made a sitting arrangement and left 50feet around the main stage to give the impression that the ground was jampacked.