LAHORE: Young boys and girls dominated Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s (PAT’s) Inqilab March on Thursday when it emerged from the heavily barricaded Minhajul Quran secretariat to leave for Islamabad.
Girls, mostly clad in simple shalwar, kameez, shirts and jeans and wearing joggers, had backpacks stuffed with food and clothes. A few were wearing plastic helmets, gas masks, goggles and glasses as protective gears.
They kept on marching from their Model Town headquarters to Muslim Town, Canal Road and on The Mall in front of a 300-bus caravan carrying middle and old aged women and men.
Talking to Dawn, female participants said they had joined the march with the support of their families and would remain loyal to the cause till the next orders of their leader Dr Tahirul Qadri.
“We’ve fascist rulers here who are least bothered about the plight of the commoner,” said Huma Waheed, a participant, who sees a lot of commonalties between a pre-revolution France and today’s Pakistan.“Our revolution will bring about prosperity in the country,” she said.
Another participant, who gave her only first name Khadeeja, was carrying a baton in her hand and a backpack on her back was moving with the marchers. She said she had been living in the Minhajul Quran secretariat for the last six days. Another girl Ayesha Hameed, a student of the Minhaj University, said they were a Minhaj family and her family was also participating in the Inqalab March.
Though a much-anticipated bloodletting did not occur between PAT activists and police, the girls were ready to fight the resistance.
Nasir Abbas, of Sialkot was a youngster walking along the caravan. “I’m satisfied with my decision to participate in the march as Dr Qadri has waited for 35 years for this moment,” he said.
He said he had taken extra cloths and dry fruits as their stay in Islamabad could be prolonged.
Raja Nadeem, a middle aged man, shouted slogans while leading a group of motorcyclists. “We can sacrifice our lives for the better future of our posterity as this fake democracy is a hopeless thing,” he said. Ejaz Fareed, another young man, was optimistic about the success of the march. “The way the government stepped back and lifted containers and barbed walls from Model Town, it would collapse soon we reach Islamabad,” he said. It has yet to be seen when the march reach Islamabad and when the dreams of Fareed are materialised.
Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2014
