ISLAMABAD: As the city is on the verge of a complete lockdown, the residents of Islamabad gathered outside the National Press Club on Tuesday to condemn both the government and the organisers of the marches for hindering their routine life and businesses.

The protesters voiced their opinion against turning the city into a battlefield, claiming that Islamabad cannot host a million protesters. They said the country should focus on fighting the outlawed Taliban and politicians should not pitch the people against each other.

Human rights activist Zafarullah Khan said people had stocked up on edible items, which had disturbed the families’ budgets.

“Though most of the roads are open, there is still an apprehension that they may be closed at any time. The social life has been badly disturbed and it seems that Islamabad has become a jail because people prefer to stay at homes,” he said.

Say capital should have designated spots for protests, long marches; insist demonstrations must not disturb people’s day-to-day lives

“Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chiefs have been threatening people and are not ready to give their date of return. Islamabad is a city of 1.5 million people, the city should not be blocked and this sort of issues should be resolved in the parliament,” he said.

Social activist Fouzia Saeed said that a separate place should be designated for the protests. “The lives of federal capital’s residents should not be disturbed because of these protests. We are fighting a war against Taliban, so our focus should be on the war and the internally displaced persons (IDPs),” she said.Yasser Chattha, an educationist, said a number of containers had been placed all over the city after being impounded by the police.

“There are life saving drugs, milk for children and other edible items in those containers and no one knows how long this situation will go on. People should get together and raise their voice against the situation,” he said.

Zubair Faisal Abbasi, an intellectual, said that thousands of people, living in Islamabad, work on daily wages in different markets and buildings. “Because of the current situation, they are not getting any work and their life has been disturbed. Protesters should go to F-9 Park and record their protest,” he said.

President Islamabad Private School Network Dr Muhammad Afzal Babar said that as many as 400,000 children studied in educational institutions and they didn’t know when their institutions would open.

Zafarullah Khan told Dawn that he hads learnt that roadside dhabas are being closed in the city to ensure that the protesters did not get food to eat. “A large number of residents of the federal capital, who rely on these dhabas, will suffer because of the decision,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2014