Azadi march participants hunker down in capital

Bring stoves, coolers, blankets, tents and all essentials for extended stay

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of people, carrying scant supplies streamed across the Kashmir Highway as they made their way towards the Azadi march venue in Sector H-9 on Friday as they prepared to camp in the federal capital until the opposition leadership gives them the signal to return.

Moving often in groups of four or more, rally participants could be seen carrying supplies such as blankets, tents and small ‘lotas’ for washing during the inevitable calls to nature.

Many were also seen carrying utensils, water coolers and other cooking supplies such as small, portable gas cylinders.

But their plans of self-sufficiency would not have been complete without accounting for a source to “power” the march, literally and figuratively with many march participants seen lugging aluminium-bound solar panels with thin wires leading out connected to their smartphones and other devices.

Fazl sticks to his demands as ‘Azadi March’ moves towards Islamabad

Along with members of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), supporters and workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also arrived with trucks bearing paraphernalia of their party leaders.

As they reached the designated rally ground in Sector H-9, participants found spots to put down their luggage and start putting up tents.



Many spread out mats and sat back to give their weary legs some rest before the main speeches started later in the afternoon.

Others got to work in setting up makeshift kitchens. Here too, the organisation of the march participants was on full display. Some worked to knead the dough, others flattened out the dough and others still manned the stove.

Some street vendors selling roasted corn and corn on the cob while others selling sweet treats such as creamy kulfis were soon swamped by some rally participants.

Later, water tankers arrived to allow the march participants to fill up their water coolers and to perform ablutions for the afternoon and evening prayers.

Amidst the droves of rally participants, the Ansar-ul-Islam members, a militia of the JUI-F and the defacto guards of the march, were easily identifiable. Dressed in their khaki shalwar qameez uniforms and carrying white-and-black sticks, they marched in a disciplined formation up and down the entire ground.

They occupied pockets of space between blocks of participants and the main container from which leaders of opposition parties were to deliver their speeches.

They gathered, holding sticks together to form a human perimeter. Others mounted the containers placed along the path of the rally to keep a watch over proceedings.

Many of the workers appeared optimistic of achieving their purpose of the march even if the wait for the main event of the march, speeches by their leaders was a little long.

Schools’ closure

The district administration of Rawalpindi has sent a request to the Punjab government to consider giving schools holidays owing to JUI-F’s Azadi March.

Holidays have been proposed in public schools as the twin cities are likely to remain on edge on Sunday and Monday.

In this regard, sources in the education department said that a decision is expected to be taken by Sunday. If approved by the Punjab government, the education department will issue a circular announcing a two-day holiday for Monday and Tuesday.

‘Azadi March participants must abide by law’

Police keep headcount

The district administration and police of Rawalpindi have submitted a report the Punjab government on the Azadi march of JUI-F.

The reports were compiled from all precincts which fall on the route of the march and include details such as the routes taken by march participants from Rawalpindi to Islamabad, the number and types of vehicles used in the protest, approximate number of JUI-F's Ansarul Islam workers, points where the demonstrators were welcomed and joined by other protesters and details on funding for the march.

The police and other security officials were given a proforma to list the details.

According to sources, Punjab police had ensured full monitoring of the march at its divisional and district level. The details were entered under the supervision of all three divisional SSPs and SSP Operations of Rawalpindi police in a 22-point proforma.

Copies of the proforma were distributed amongst all police stations and sought details about the location of the march, its head and tail, count of JUI-F supporters and Ansarul Islam workers, number of vehicles, flags and banners, civil society participants, people who escorted the march, financiers.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2019.