ISLAMABAD, May 11: On Saturday, a majority of registered voters of federal capital participated in the election process. However, over 3,000 people, including women and children participated in a sit-in held by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), near Aabpara Chowk and declared that elections will not bring any definitive change.

The crowd was charged up and kept chanting slogans against the system. They were of the view that revolution cannot be brought through elections and a corrupt system has been saving corrupt politicians. They were saying ‘Awam Dushman Nizam Na Manzoor’, ‘Siyasat Nahi Riasat Bachaoo.’

Hammad Ahmed, resident of sector G-9/4, said that for last 60 years people of Pakistan have been listening to the empty claims of politicians, “People are aware that politicians will not resolve their issues, so they have introduced a new term ‘give vote to less corrupt candidate’. A corrupt person can not deliver at all,” he said.

“How can we think positive if fake degree holders, criminals and corrupt persons will come into assemblies,” he added.

Shaista Kamal, a female participant of protest, who had come along with her three year old son, said that she had come to support Dr Allama Tahir ul Qadri.“I and other participants have come to change the system,” she said.

Another participant, Muhammad Usman said that there is no system or mechanism in Pakistan which could hold influential criminals accountable. “First of all, awareness should be given to people and then election should be held in the country. Most of the people do not know what is in their benefit,” he said.

Media coordinator of PAT Ghulam Ali said that on Friday night, while fixing tents and other equipment, they were stopped by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

“We told him that Chief Election Commissioner has said that every person has right to protest peacefully, but he was not ready to listen. There were large numbers of police officials so we decided to stop but after few hours they all left because they were deputed at different polling stations so we started fixing equipment again to hold sit-in,” he said.

As many as six screens were fixed at Aabpara to telecast the speech of Dr Tahir ul Qadri live. Mr Qadri participated in a sit-in held in Lahore. He said that it was first time in the history of Pakistan that people held sit-in at 300 places in the country and at 150 places abroad, to show that they do not want that political system in Pakistan.

In Islamabad, Secretary General of PAT Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said that residents of Islamabad have shown that they want to save the state rather than its politics.

Spokesman of Tehreek-e-Minhaj-ul-Quran, Umar Riaz Abbasi said that on Saturday, some parties announced the boycott of elections.

He noted that people have been fed up with current political system and because it did not provide them with anything, except hunger, poverty, unemployment and terrorism. After the elections most of the political parties will start talking about rigging. On the other hand, members of assemblies will demand money for casting their vote in favor of political parties.