ISLAMABAD: In a tattered tent, Hussain Bhatti, a supporter of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), was busy collecting his belongings on Constitution Avenue. The excitement on his face was evident. He was finally heading home to Karachi with his family after 51 days. The occasion: to celebrate Eidul Azha in their hometowns following Dr Tahirul Qadri’s directives.

A resident of Kimari Town, Bhatti, 55, and his 27 family members had been actively participating at PAT’s sit-in.

“I cannot believe that we lived all this time on the roads in Islamabad. It is not easy for anyone to participate in the sit-in,” he added.

“I am leaving the sit-in along with my family members with the permission of Allama Tahirul Qadri. We are happy because we would be celebrating Eid in Karachi,” he added.

“My mother had also been participating in the sit-in with us. Our aim was to bring revolution, but we are upset with the PAT leadership as it failed to achieve its target,” Bhatti added.

Hassan Ali, 45, the younger brother of Hussain Bhatti, told Dawn that he worked as a fisherman in Karachi.

“Although, I believe that it is not an easy task for anyone to bring revolution in just 51 days, but do you think it is easy for people like me to meet their monthly expense with no work,” Ali said.

Many supporters from Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Lahore and Karachi allowed to celebrate Eid at home

Sadia Bibi, 15 and her elder brother Adnan Ali, 16, told Dawn that the management of their schools had struck off their names due to their long absence.

“Thank God, we are leaving the sit-in to celebrate Eid at our homes,” they added.

Adil Ali, 19, a resident of Gujrat, said hundreds of people had left the sit-in during the last two days.

He said the sit-in’s management had been distributing cash among the participants on daily basis so that they could meet their expense.

“We were getting Rs300 to Rs500. Now the PAT leadership is providing us fare for our hometowns,” Ali added.

PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on Friday allowed his supporters from Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Karachi to leave Constitution Avenue and head back home.

“You can go to your hometowns and make preparations for the upcoming political gathering in Faisalabad and Lahore because the struggle for revolution and the campaign for elections will continue side by side,” the PAT chief said.

Dr Qadri said PAT would organise a political gathering in Karachi at Mazar-i- Quaid, and after Muharram, he will announce the date for a rally.

“Due to PAT’s sit-in, we succeeded to create awareness among the people and brought a change in their mindset. It is impossible for us to let other parties cash in on the ‘fruits’ of our efforts. We will contest and win the elections,” the PAT chief said.

He said the parliament was never free: neither during the martial law nor during democracy. The struggle for revolution is compulsory for all PAT supporters.

Meanwhile, a little distance away, PTI chief Imran Khan told his supporters that the party leadership was preparing lists of capable people who would run government institutions.

“Do you know, the upcoming Eidul Azha will be the best Eid of my life, because I would be spending it at the sit-in,” Khan said.

“There is no purpose of holding re-elections without holding the present rulers accountable,” he claimed.

“A maximum of 500 people across the country need to be brought under the law to make ‘new Pakistan’,” the PTI chief added.

Mr Khan also said the PTI would revolutionise education, health and justice system in the country.

Published in Dawn, October 4th , 2014