ISLAMABAD: Participants of the Azadi March have made arrangements to continue their sit-in without facing any hurdles.

They have not only brought a number of edible items but have also ensured that in case of a health issue or any other unavoidable circumstances their relatives from their hometowns would come to replace them.

Syed Badshah from Charsadda, who was sitting in a camp, told Dawn that two persons from his home had reached Islamabad.

“Other family members are in our native area to ensure that my business would go on without any hurdle. I will get funding from home to ensure my stay here. Moreover, in case of any health issue I would go to my native area and my brother will replace me here,” he said.

Zahoorul Haq, who has come from Shangla, said he had reached here in a convoy headed by Sher Alam Khan of Chakisar Town.

“We have brought a huge quantity of rice, sugar and other edibles. We will prepare food here and don’t care how much time it would take to continue the protest. I am a teacher in a seminary and will resume my duty after returning from here,” he said.

Fazal Mohammad from Loralai Balochistan had a solar panel through which he was charging his mobile phone.

“We are used to living without electricity. We use solar panels to charge cell phones in Loralai so I have brought one with me here,” he said.

Another participant, Abdul Ghaffar, from Ghotki in Sindh, was also charging his cell phone through a solar panel.

“It helps me charge the cell phone through which I remain in contact with my family. I am a seminary teacher in my hometown,” he said.

Ready to move to D-Chowk

JUI leaders spent the whole day on Saturday convincing the participants to move towards D-Chowk if their demand was not met till Sunday night.

Speeches were made from the stage asking the workers if they were ready to move to the Red Zone in case the leadership so decided. In response, the participants chanted slogans and waved party flags backing any decision of the party.

The mood of the participants seemed aggressive when the JUI-F leaders delivered speeches in the afternoon.

Most of the participants said they had come to stage a sit-in at D-Chowk but were camped on Kashmir Highway due to the decision of the JUI leadership. However, they said their destination was D-Chowk and they were prepared for it.

Attaullah Khan from Dir said: “We arrived here to stage a sit-in for more than a week as Imran Khan would resign after seeing a large number of people in front of Parliament House.”

He said JUI-F leaders had informed them about two plans according to which they would first stage a sit-in at Peshawar Mor and then move towards D-Chowk.

Ahmed Khan, a resident of Bannu, said he was ready to move to D-Chowk. He said he was a madressah student, adding all former students of the seminary had joined the march from Karachi.

“In our culture, teachers’ respect is more important and it would be an honour for us to move forward on the directives of our teachers.” He said the party leaders convinced them that the PTI government had failed to deliver and created problems for the people.

Nasarullah Khan, a resident of Karak, said he and his companions were prepared to move to D-Chowk.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2019