ISLAMABAD: Although the participants of the long marches are yet to arrive in the federal capital, the officials of the civil armed forces, deputed in Islamabad, have exhausted all their energies.

It is feared that insufficient facilities and long duties in hot and humid environment will be either inefficient or provoke the security officials to overreact with anger, while dealing with the protesters.

A police official said that most of the officials have been doing duties, since over one week, at different roads. “The officials were given the instructions to stop those who want to come in the capital to participate in the sit-ins. They have been exchanging heated arguments with people on daily basis,” he said.

“Moreover, the officials have not been given proper facilities, food and water. On Wednesday, a number of officials were admitted in the hospital because of contaminated food. Such incidents can increase their aggression,” the official added.

An official of Golra Police Ghulam Hussain, deputed in front of F-9 Park, told Dawn that vacations of the police officials have already been cancelled. “Moreover, we have to give 12 hour-long duties, daily. Even the place of duty is not confirmed, everyday we get the instructions to go to a different place,” he said.

Hussain, who belongs to Chinot, said that it was not easy to sit at a place on the grass for 12 hours, without any work, and then go back.

“Officials of the police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) have been deputed in front of F-9 Park, because of the sensitive buildings located in Sector E-9,” he said.

An FC official Farman Ullah, who is used to Swat’s cold climate, said, “Islamabad is very hot. Although the police work for 12 hours, we have to give the duty 24 hours a day. During the duty, we get to take three hours of rest, but cannot leave the place of our duty.”

Another FC official Amir Shahzad said that he belongs to Ogee in Hazara Division, which is a colder place. “Although it is difficult to work in such an environment, but we are trained to work in all kinds of climates, so we have to deal with it,” he said.

Bakht Taj, an official who was deployed in Waziristan, was sent back to Islamabad three days ago. “A number of official have stopped talking to each other because of the hot and humid conditions,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2014