Tension between government and Jamaat increases over Lahore race

Lahore: The Jamaat-e-Islami has announced it will block the holding of a mixed international marathon race in Lahore, fuelling tensions with the Punjab government.

The leadership of the Jamaat-e-Islam and its subsidiary organisations, Shabab-e-Milli and Islami Jamiat-e-Talba, are at the forefront of opposing the mixed race and have vowed to hold protests on the day of the event.

However, the Punjab government is pressing ahead with its plan to make the occasion a big success as part of the enlightened moderation strategy of General Pervez Musharraf.

The organisers of the event say amateur runners from various parts of Pakistan have started landing in Lahore, joining professional athletes from countries around the world.

Thousands of youths from the educational institutions of Punjab, and people from various walks of life, thronged registration counters yesterday to participate in the mega event being held on January 14.

According to the registration data of the Lahore Marathon, over 17,000 people have registered so far, including a large number of youths and women.

Data shows around 1,000 students of Punjab University, and over 3,000 students from the Punjab Group of Colleges already registered for the event. According to marathon managers, school students are also showing great interest.

More than 8,000 people have registered for the five-kilometre race, more than 5,000 for the 10-kilometre category and over 1,000 for the 42-kilometre showpiece.

Over 15,000 Lahoris, including thousands of women, participated in last year's marathon.