GUJRAT: Participants in Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) long march have established 250 camps to stay in a park and nearby spaces in Wazirabad town of Gujranwala district.

On way to Islamabad, the TLP workers had reached Wazirabad on Oct 29. Initially they kept the GT Road blocked for three days before shifting to an adjacent park after the TLP struck a deal with the government.

The camps have mainly been set up along the railway line, green belt and adjoining Hamid Nasir Chatha park in Allahabad, also known as Nizamabad.

The organisers have established a separate camp for medical treatment with two doctors and ample medicines available round the clock.

Leader says they will resume journey if Saad is not freed by Monday

Moreover, three trucks loaded with daily-use items like food, regular meals, dry fruit, bottles of mineral water and medicines etc whereas two trucks are loaded with blankets to keep the participants warm under the cold weather conditions in an open area.

Zainul Abideen, who introduced himself as TLP’s Attock district emir and also in charge of a zone of camps, told Dawn the Tehreek had planned a different strategy to handle the government pressure as a large number of party workers had already reached near Rawalpindi and Islamabad and warned if the government did not release TLP chief Saad Rizvi by Monday (Nov 8) the participants of Wazirabad sit-in would resume their journey towards Islamabad.

The sit-in leaders would daily organise a gathering within the camps between 7 to 10pm at night where participants would recite Quran and Naat. Some would deliver speeches to keep the participants charged for their cause.

Abideen said 150 large and some 110 small camps had been set up for the participants in and around the park.

The internet services in Wazirabad city and its adjoining rural areas have been suspended for the last 10 days, causing a great deal of inconvenience to the locals.

On the other hand, the management of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) could not make such arrangements for the security personnel performing duty at the Chenab toll plaza to prevent the TLP march from going to Islamabad.

These personnel complain about lack of sleep due to improper place for rest as they are compelled to sleep on uneasy seats of police buses, vans and open area along bridges over Chenab or adjoining grounds which are infested with mosquitos.

“For the last 16 days, we are forced to consume unhealthy food,” said a police official deployed there.

The Chenab river bridges are still closed to traffic however pedestrians and motorbikes are allowed to cross the bridge for a limited period.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2021