ISLAMABAD: As life began to limp back to normality with the opening of weekly bazaars and resuming of work by the traffic police, the civic agency of the federal capital could not maintain cleanliness at Aabpara where the workers of PAT and PTI have settled themselves.

Contrary to the previous days when the police force belonging to Islamabad, AJK and Punjab were deployed at the entry points of the city, the law enforcement agencies on Sunday merged with the participants of the sit-ins.

Several officers of the traffic police were seen managing parking and flow of vehicles from Zero Point up to Aabpara.

Traffic police back at work, people throng Sunday bazaars

The most difficult task was managing traffic at the intersection of 7th Avenue and Khayaban-i-Suharwardy/Kashmir Highway.

Besides, the police also faced difficulty in stopping the participants of the sit-ins from double parking along the Kashmir Highway and 7th Avenue.

Though the traffic police were not taking any action against violators, its officers stationed at I-8, F-6 and other points issued verbal warning to motorcyclists for not wearing helmets.

“We do not want to create any political issue these days but I did stop a number of people, who seemed to be local residents, and told them to wear helmet,” said a police officer posted at the I -8 signal.

“But we cannot expect the same from those coming from other cities as many of them do not even know the concept of wearing helmets.”

Meanwhile, foul smell started rising from heaps of garbage and food leftovers at Khayaban-i-Suharwardy and Kashmir Highway where the PAT and PTI are staging the sit-ins.

Amidst stink and waste, the PAT workers have started setting up a tent village on the greenbelts of Khayaban-i-Suharwardy.

“Rains have further deteriorated the conditions. If this is negligence then it is a crime and if the authorities feel that they can discourage us by not lifting the garbage, they are mistaken,” said Sakina Bibi, one of the participants at the sit-in.

On the other hand, there is no tent village on Kashmir Highway but the conditions are not much different and the environment is filled with stench coming from a flowing gutter.

Though the sanitary staff of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was busy cleaning the road between Aabpara market and government quarters, they were fewer in number to complete the task.

“During normal days, we are nine people on duty here, and though our number has increased to 20, we still are short of manpower,” said a sanitary worker at Aabpara.

In a press release, the CDA said on the directives of Chairman Maroof Afzal, 150 sanitary workers had been deputed at the PAT and PTI sit-in sites.

The sanitary workers will work in three shifts and each shift will consist of 50 workers.

Though the participants of the PTI sit-in faced lack of facilities for two days, on Sunday they were provided with food, water and medical facilities.

Naeemul Haq, the staff officer to the PTI chief, told Dawn that the party workers faced problems because of the rain and uncertainty about the venue of the sit-in. However, he said, all the issues had been resolved.

Two NGOs were providing medical facilities to the participants of the sit-in.

Rizwan Ahmed said he slipped and sprained his ankle during the rain on Saturday night.

“A bandage was applied on the ankle and medicines were given to me. I will stay here till the end of the march,” he said.

A PTI supporter, Omer Shahzad, said it was a good sign that things had started improving at the site of the sit-in.

“The participants are getting breakfast, water and now chairs have also been provided to them. I am sure that with every passing day the arrangements will further improve,” he said.

An office-bearer of the PTI requesting anonymity said because of the poor arrangements at the sit-in site, the party chief grilled MNA Asad Umar and an organiser of the Azadi march, Saifullah Niazi.

“Mr Khan instructed them to ensure facilities for the participants of the march without any delay,” he said.

The PTI chief during his speech on Saturday night also admitted that his party was not as organised as PAT and there was lack of preparations.

He, however, said the party workers had the passion to endure all difficulties.

Naeemul Haq added that there were different reasons for the lack of facilities at the sit-in site.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2014