LAHORE: “It’s a chand raat (the night before Eid) for us... Our leader Tahirul Qadri Sahib is like a moon for us whom we’ll be seeing today,” said an enthusiastic Pakistan Awami Tehreek supporter present at Minar-i-Pakistan lawns, the venue for PAT’s public meeting being dubbed as “Inquilab in Lahore”.

The teenager was explaining to the media the reason behind the bangles matching the colours of the PAT flag she was wearing. Her statement represented not only her own emotions but the mood that was prevailing at the venue, where activists from within and outside the city and other adjacent districts started reaching.

Almost each of the jubilant participant was either carrying a party flag, big or small, or was wearing cap of the party colours and inscribed with slogans “Go Nawaz Go” or “Go Nizam (system) Go”.

Some of the trends set by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in its protest meetings were carried forward by the PAT activists. Music (mostly party songs) was being played from the stage. Many women had got painted party flag on their cheeks or wrists, while headscarves of many women also represented the party colours.

The women participants from Lahore came to the venue somewhat late. One of them who identified herself as Farheen said they first finished their household chores so that they could join the meeting with a mind free from the burden of “household duties” and stay at the venue till the last moment.

A number of men and younger boys continued dancing to the tune of drums throughout the day and the activity was intensified in the evening. Sloganeering against the Sharifs and the system continued intermittently.

Unlike the PTI and PAT’s own past practice, the stage this time was not set on any container. Rather the platform of the Minar was used for the purpose.

The spacious venue had been divided into five enclosures including one each for women, VIPs and ordinary workers. Some stalls offering PAT flags, caps, stickers and bangles and for face-painting were earlier allowed to be set up close to the ground but later removed on objection by the security officials.

Some activists then took the responsibility of face-painting while a couple of vendors appeared to sell flags to the people sitting in the enclosures.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2014