ISLAMABAD: Though the ‘Azadi’ and ‘Inqilab’ marches are aimed at ensuring equality and justice in society, discriminations have been witnessed in the sit-ins of the two parties.

Leaders of both the PTI and PAT sit-ins enjoys a comfortable environment and is even free to visit its residences as and when they want, but their supporters have to stay in the open during the scorching heat and heavy rains.

Despite this, the protesters may be considered lucky enough to get food after intervals. However, there is no one who can arrange meals for the bus drivers who brought the participants of the marches from different parts of the country to the federal capital.

These drivers have been with PTI and PAT since August 13.

Tariq Hassan, one of the drivers, told Dawn that the owner of the van received Rs20,000 from the PTI for three days out of which he (driver) was given Rs500 for food. “The van owner will pay me Rs300 per day after my return to Lahore,” he said.

He said compared to Lahore the federal capital was expensive and he spent Rs500 in a couple of days.

Mohammad Ilyas, another driver attached with the PTI protesters, said while coming to Islamabad from Lahore he had a proper meal at Gujrat but after that he has not been able to eat properly.

He said the protesters, who were eager to topple the government and bring a change in the society, never provided the drivers even a glass of water.

Driver Tahir Ali said because of improper diet and unhygienic drinking water he was suffering from diarrhoea.

“After arriving here, we parked our vehicles at the greenbelts and started using the toilets of nearby mosques at sectors G-7 and G-8. But the management of the mosques locked the toilets,” he said.

The drivers attached with PAT also had similar complaints. Mohammad Faisal, a bus driver, said he was never served with food by the organisers of the march. “We don’t have enough money to buy a proper meal,” he said.

Naseer Ahmed said he and four other drivers had pooled in some money to buy food during their stay in Islamabad. He, however, was worried that he might run out of money very soon.

He said he and his fellow drivers were planning to contact bus owners to request them to send them some money for food.

When contacted, PAT leader Mohammad Rafeeq Abbasi said the central secretariat of the party did not make any arrangement for providing meal to the drivers. He said PAT regional units had arranged the transport buses on their own and also paid the owners a lump-sum amount which also included expenses of the drivers.

The PTI deputy secretary information, Faisal Javed, also said his party was not responsible for providing food to the drivers.

He said those who had hired the vehicles should have made arrangements for the provision of food to the drivers.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2014