ISLAMABAD: Ghulam Rasool, a 28-year-old daily-wage labourer from Attock, is enjoying a unique paid holiday these days thanks to the dual sit-ins in the capital.

A resident of Rawalpindi, Rasool used to wake up early every morning for the last three years in order to find work to earn for his family.

“I was standing near the bus stop on I.J. Principal Road in Sector I-10,” he recalled, “It seemed difficult to find work that day, because it was raining.”

Know more: PTI workers asked to continue sit-in for two more weeks

He said that one of his friends suggested he join the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) sit-in at D-Chowk, three weeks ago, because not only was PAT offering free food to participants, it was also giving a nominal daily wage to labourers.

“Although it is difficult to stand in the queue to get food, it is the only option for people like me to fulfill the monthly expenses for our families,” said Rasool, adding that he earns Rs600 per day from his job, but here he get Rs400 to Rs500 without even working.

PAT, PTI reportedly pay participants Rs400 to Rs500 per day to attend the sit-ins

“I hope the PAT and PTI sit-ins continue, because I am enjoying my stay here,” he added.

Like Ghulam Rasool, 44-year-old Rafiq Khan from Swabi district also works as a labourer in Islamabad.

Khan said that he used he used to search for labour work near Peshawar Mor in Sector G-9.

“That day it seemed as if no one will approach me, because it was already 10am,” he said, “After half an hour, a person reached there with a van and offered me and the other labourers there to join the PAT sit-in.”

“He assured us that he will pay Rs400 to Rs500 per day, as long as we stay there till the end of Dr Tahirul Qadri’s speech,” Khan added.

Although this was Rs100 less than he earned at his job as a labourer in Islamabad, but Khan accepted the offer because he did not have to perform any labour work.

He said that he prefers to sleep at the Constitution Avenue during the night, which, according to him, is much better than Peshawar Mor, where he generally slept on the sidewalk.

“We submit our CNIC’s to the concerned office bearers of PAT to get our stipend, on a daily basis, and they return our ID cards after Dr Qadri’s speech,” Khan claimed.

Similarly, 24-year-old Sarwar Abbasi, a PTI supporter from Rawalpindi, said that he had been unemployed despite having a masters degree in Economics.

“My friends told me to come to the PTI sit-in with them, for four to five hours everyday. Meanwhile the local PTI leaders pay us Rs500 to meet the expenses such as fuel,” he added.

Abbasi said that it is good for him to spend some time among the gathering. He enjoys the music and the speeches by PTI chief Imran Khan; this, he says, helps him relieve his tensions about unemployment.

According to the participants of the sit-ins, it is good for labourers, masons, taxi drivers, massagers and the unemployed youth to participate in the sit-in to earn some easy money and meet their monthly expenses.

Despite repeated attempts, PAT and PTI spokesmen were not available for comments.

Published in Dawn, September 11th , 2014