ISLAMABAD: Around 30 families, who had come to Islamabad from different districts of Punjab to participate in the sit-in of PAT, on Sunday left for their hometowns as their children contracted weather-related diseases.

This figure was revealed by the participants of the sit-in and some of the families leaving the venue of the sit-in at the Constitution Avenue.

Talking to Dawn, some of the parents said it was very difficult for them to continue the sit-in along with their children who were suffering from high temperature, cholera and flu.

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Arshad Mughal, 35, a resident of tehsil Sillanwali in the district of Sargodha, said he had been a follower of the PAT chief for almost eight years.

He said he reached Lahore along with his family members on March 10 to join the ‘revolution’ march to Islamabad.

“I was thinking that the government would meet the demands of our leadership within two or three days. But the sit-in that has been continuing for more than one week now has created lots of difficulties for my family,” Mr Mughal added.

He said his four-year-old son was suffering from high temperature and was given paracetamol syrup at the medical camp of the PAT.

“It is very difficult for me and my wife to visit doctors in the capital city due to blockade of roads and unavailability of public transport in the Red Zone.”

Mr Mughal said he wanted to stay in the sit-in but cannot compromise on the health of his son.

Nafeesa Shaheen, 42, a resident of district Okara, said she was leaving for her hometown because she was a patient of blood pressure.

“I wanted to stay in the PAT sit-in but due to my poor health it is not possible for me to stay under the open sky for another one or two days. This is the reason I am leaving for my hometown along with my family,” she added.

Rab Nawaz Heer, 50, from Jhang, said his nine-year-old daughter was suffering from cholera.

He said he took his daughter to Pims for a check-up but her condition did not improve.

“I am going back to my hometown along with my family members as it is very difficult for my wife to take care of my daughter in such difficult circumstances,” he said.

A PAT spokesman said it was natural that people would face problems due to the ongoing weather conditions in Islamabad. But it should be the responsibility of the government to understand the sufferings of the people and give them relief by accepting the demands of the PAT chief, he added.When contacted, Polyclinic spokesman Dr Shahid Hanif said thousands of people had been visiting the hospital on a daily basis since the sit-in started in the federal capital on August 16.

He said most of the patients were women and children and were suffering from weather-related diseases.

Dr Hanif said almost 1,400 personnel of the Punjab and Islamabad police had also visited the hospital during the last three days.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2014