ISLAMABAD: Friday was a test of patience for many marchers, as rallies of both Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) spent all day on the road before arriving in the capital just before midnight.

But what began as another sweltering day turned into a rain-soaked August evening, bringing much-needed relief for supporters of both parties who had been waiting for their leaders’ caravans to arrive in the city.

The PTI rally – which culminated at the Kashmir Highway, near the Serena Hotel on the edge of the Red Zone – was held up by heavy rain and other incidents. PAT’s progress was quicker during the day, but by the evening, their rally had been overtaken by the PTI contingent, which marched into the capital barely an hour ahead of Dr Tahirul Qadri’s supporters.

l Imran Khan’s arrival delayed by more than 36 hours l Many ‘early bird’ PTI supporters spent the day roaming capital’s streets, others returned home l Dozens who spent the night at Zero Point irked by lack of food, toilets l Two killed as vehicle carrying PTI supporters overturns

Both marches, however, were nearly 36 hours off schedule, which took its toll on the early birds, who had arrived in the capital from various parts of the country on Independence Day, expecting a major show of strength.

Ahead of the PAT rally at Zero Point, authorities had cordoned off Islamabad Expressway/8th Avenue by the afternoon in anticipation of the rally. Several Tahirul Qadri supporters camped out at the venue, which was cordoned off by police but remained open for food vendors and motor cyclists.

Women and children sought shade during the day and shelter from the thunderstorm that lashed Zero Point at repeated intervals through the night.

But as activists got word of their leader’s arrival at Faizabad, charged PAT workers jumped into action and using a crane they had brought along, moved the container blocking their path out of Zero Point.

PAT office bearers told Dawn late on Friday night that they wanted to place their main stage on Khayaban-i-Suharwardy, which put them in close proximity with the PTI Azadi March, which was culminating on Kashmir Highway that runs alongside the thoroughfare.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, who led a PTI caravan from Peshawar into Islamabad on Thursday night, was only occasionally seen at the site of his party’s demonstration.

Most of the party workers that arrived with him could be seen wandering the streets of Islamabad, especially around sectors G-6, G-7, F-6 and F-7.

Brandishing party flags and shouting slogans, the PTI youths whiled away the time taking in the sights and sounds of an otherwise desolate capital.

A general lack of coordination marred the day as it seemed that one PTI chapter did not know what the other’s plans were. In fact, several PTI supporters Dawn spoke to on Friday afternoon said they were going back home because Imran had not kept his promise of reaching the capital to stage a major show on Independence Day.

Swabi-resident Zubair Khan told Dawn he and his friends left for Islamabad on August 14, wanting to greet PTI chief Imran Khan when he arrived in the capital later that evening. But it was not to be and Mr Khan would keep Zubair waiting even longer.

“It was not easy to come when we did, because most of the roads were closed. But somehow, we managed to reach Islamabad by the evening of the 14th,” he said.

“It is not unusual for such marches to be delayed and we were expecting Mr Khan to reach Islamabad by the morning of the 15th. We spent Thursday night under the stars on the greenbelt. There was no provision for food or water, so we had to fend for ourselves,” he said.

“I don’t mind camping here without provisions, but Mr Khan should have kept his promise,” he said, adding that he and his friends were tired of waiting and had decided to head back home.

Another PTI supporter, Abdul Shakoor, said the party should have informed workers about the exact time the march would arrive.

“Workers reached the capital from different parts of KP, but the main march could not make it on time. It would have been much better if PTI workers were told to coordinate their arrival in the capital with that of the party chief on Friday evening,” he said.

PTI supporters, especially women and children, also faced severe difficulty due to an absence of ‘mobile toilets’, which the PTI had proudly showcased at Zaman Park before setting off from Lahore. A number of women were forced to ask residents of the area for help and ended up visiting nearby homes and offices to avail themselves of the facilities.

A PTI office-bearer at the demonstration venue near Serena Hotel admitted the lack of preparation. “Yes, I do accept at an organisational level, we are lagging behind but hopefully everything will be in place by the time the main leadership traveling from Lahore reaches the venue,” he said.

Late on Friday night, sources at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences told Dawn that at least two people had died and around seven were injured when a vehicle carrying PTI supporters overturned near Shakarparian. Hospital sources said that three of the injured were in critical condition and had been moved to the surgical Intensive Care Unit.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2014