RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) local leadership seemed to be jolted out of its reverie on Sunday morning, as they began to mobilise residents of the twin cities, sending them to the site of the party’s sit-in on Kashmir Highway.

While the mood was festive at the main sit-in, most people who joined the gathering on Sunday travelled to the venue on their own in the absence of any arrangements by the party.

Even though rickshaws are banned from the federal capital, more than seven rickshaws adorned with PTI flags were seen parked at the venue.

Families from various parts of the twin cities arrived in large numbers on Sunday. The children, most of them sitting on their parents’ shoulders, had their faces painted with PTI and Pakistan flags. In fact, stalls selling paraphernalia such as flags and caps remained crowded all day long.

On the weekend, the PTI’s signature urban support base was also out in full force. But many supporters said that local leaders from Rawalpindi and Islamabad had not been as active as they should have been in mobilising support ahead of the march.

“I came from Dhoke Hassu; the PTI in charge for our union council was busy in Lahore. And despite assurances, there was no transport for supporters from the union council,” said Gulzar Khan, who came to Islamabad on his rickshaw.

Sajid Malik, a resident of Fauji Colony, said that he and his friends arrived at the venue in the evening but returned home.

He said that there had been no party convention to mobilise supporters in the garrison city, adding that “if local leaders have made any such claims, they were lying.”

“There were no arrangements to transport people on the first two days. On Saturday night, local leaders went door-to-door, requesting people to join the sit-in,” he said.

Raja Tanveer, a resident of Dhamial, said that PTI had not mobilised people in many areas. He added that the party leaders contacted them on Saturday to join them at the sit-in. “I do not think that we will spend the night here, since we will go back home and arrive again tomorrow,” he said.

A local PTI leader told Dawn that party leadership had expressed resentment over the performance of the local chapters that had failed to bring rallies from their union councils.

“Most of the people have arrived from Lahore and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the local people have not joined the sit-in. PTI had directed the local chapters, across the province, to join the march with big rallies but that has not happened,” he said.

Saturday morning, after seeing the venue, he said, the PTI leadership has asked to activate the local workers and supporters.

“The party gained more than 300,000 votes from the twin cities, so the local chapters were expected to at least bring 100,000 people from Rawalpindi and Islamabad,” he said.

PTI Punjab North President Sadaqat Abbasi told Dawn that more people were arriving in the sitting, as the time progressed. He was hopeful that the crowd will increase even further in the coming days.

Mr Abbasi said that the local administration of the twin cities had hindered PTI’s campaign to mobilise the people in many areas.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2014