ISLAMABAD: For the first time in the history of the country, thousands of protesters have set up camps within the premises of the Parliament House.

On Sunday, these protesters, most of them from Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), shifted their camps from the Constitution Avenue to the premises of the house.

They stormed into the parliament building after removing a portion of the boundary grill.

PAT workers, Quratulain Zahoor and Shakira Zahoor, were also among those who set up their camps there.

The sisters, who came from Mandi Bahauddin, claimed that the police brutality had forced them to “occupy” the Parliament House’s lawn.

“We had no intentions to enter the parliament building; rather we were marching towards the Prime Minister House to stage a sit-in there. But the police tortured our fellows and in retaliation we shifted our camps here,” said Quratulain, who graduated from Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Minhaj University in Lahore.

The dozens of camps, set up on the lush green lawns of the Parliament House, looked similar to those established for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Bannu.

Meanwhile, clashes continued between police and protesters of PAT and PTI outside the Parliament House.

The riot police maintained its presence at Secretariat Chowk from where they kept throwing teargas shells on the protesters throughout the day. However, the protesters regrouped on Sunday afternoon.

“The shelling on Saturday night was unexpected. But today we are fully prepared to handle the police,” said PAT worker Mohammad Anwar. He said the PAT workers were equipped with batons, slingshots and iron rods.

However, Anwar claimed that they were helpless before the ‘poisonous’ teargas. “In Model Town and Rawalpindi, we have faced teargas attacks but believe me this is the first time we are facing this sort of a dangerous teargas,” he said.

Two hammer-wielding youngsters, with covered faces, were also seen on the Constitution Avenue breaking stones into smaller gravel.

They did not disclose their names and party affiliation but said the resignation of the prime minister was indispensable for the country’s prosperity.

It was also observed that they spread the smaller pieces of stones on a portion of the Constitution Avenue to facilitate the protesters.

An emotional scene was also witnessed when once police hindered the food supply to the protesters, PAT workers started distributing dates and grains among their peers.

“If the government thinks that we will leave the area because of food shortage, they are day dreaming. We will eat dates and grains as our Prophet (peace be upon him) ate during wars, but we will not leave the area,” said Khalida Bibi, an aged PAT worker. She said her party had sufficient stock of dates and grains. However, the police allowed the entry of food supply in the evening.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2014