Dr Qadri march viewed from different angles.
What did Dr Qadri ask for and what he has achieved is known to all so it will be a futile effort on my part if touch such details but still I am going to narrate what he ought have done and what he had avoided so that I can be understood by all.
First of all as and when he had announced to march towards he must have informed his participants as to what would be the weather conditions and temperature in Islamabad for the very simple reason that not everyone who has attended the rally has neither been there nor everyone has internet facility to find out what could be the ground reality. I have seen some faces that were not properly clad whatsoever to face minus and nearby temperature so they were caught up with no remedy unless they buy warm clothes for which they may not enough money and on top of it local shops of Islamabad were closed in any case. Needless to mention that light weight warm clothes will be sufficient enough to fight cold which is touching freezing point.
Tents were provided by Dr Qadri but the crowd was so very big that it was almost impossible for everyone to be covered in tents. It is sheer bad luck that some of his tents were uprooted by local administration which complicated the situation still the more. If Dr had announced that people are to stay out for few nights then some of them have brought some tents at their own but it did not happen alike. Moreover till this day people had not even thought to stay back for so many days simply because in earlier such like activity people had come for a day and the moment the leader had finished his or her speech all the attendees went back to their houses which was not the case over here.
Dr Qadri must have made it very clear that millions cannot be provided chairs or even rugs to sit on which itself demands that there must be some basic provisions readily for the participants to sit for days not just hours if not then the participants be told in advance to bring with them chairs or stools etc together with rugs but regretfully it did not happen alike. Incidentally even if someone is asked to sit alike for just few hours I am sure he or she will exhaust in few hours if not minutes whereas millions were subjected to such unease and torture but why when it could have been avoided if Dr Qadri had thought about it.
Dr Qadri should have announced aloud that ladies infants with suckers in their mouth must not come at any cost simply because they are so tender that catch sickness even while in their houses so one can imagine what the hell the poor infants had to undergo for none of their fault and it can be said with full conviction and authority that some of them if not all of them must have caught some common sickness like fever and cough etc. If still he wanted these ladies to come then he should have announced that Islamabad ladies can come but on the condition that they will return to their houses in night rather than staying back under the open sky.
I have my serious doubts that the crowd had brought sufficient drinking water, food and drinks etc to be consumed for so many days in continuity. Local shops of Islamabad were closed so they were unable to buy anything they needed badly. All had to depend upon what was available and it was too awkward for someone to eat what he brought but ignore the one sitting next to him who has nothing to eat. As a human he has no other choice to share his meager food with unknown participants which is most appreciable but at the same time the person who had food stocks for some days is now without food himself since he has shared it others. One must not forget that each person whether male or female, young ir old needs 3 meals a day and one can remain hungry for few hours or even one or two days but not for 4 days.
Each and every person is to answer to natural calls daily at least two times if not more which as such demanded that there must be sufficient number of toilets available for the crowd particularly ladies and I have my serious doubts if none suffered on this account. Were all toilets had water flush facility? Some ladies must have faced menses during the said days which still the more complicates the situation for the ladies so affected but it was ignored. Many men had no choice but would have gone under the trees to answer the natural call and thereby personal privacy cannot be guaranteed because I am talking of millions so naked men were exposed to other men who were either naked themselves or were still dressed up. Moreover, natural call is quite but natural which cannot be ignored or answered after hours meaning by as and when someone felt alike then he or she is to discharge and I cannot rule out the possibility that many had gone to trees but came back seeing so many naked all around but one way or the other at some point of time they had to be naked themselves without caring as to who is seeing them naked. I have doubts if all of them had water with them so they had to use either tissue paper or cloth or even leaves of the trees to clean themselves and remain in the same situation till go for next call. Now when many had off loaded nearby under trees its bad smell must have reached the crowd to smell which I can say on my honor that not many had smelled it earlier in their lives.
Dr Qadri has been continually sipping tea or coffee as his reddish brown tumbler was visibly seen by millions while he addressed the crowd for all these 4 long days which I did not like at all to be honest rather objected while sitting in my house before television screen. Admittedly one need to sip tea or coffee when addressing and that too at full throttle but at the same time Dr had thought that all those who are seeing and listening to him in millions are deprived of any such luxury. I am pretty sure some of those in the crowd had realized it alike as I have raised my voice against it.
Dr Qadri should not have declared president, cabinets, assemblies dissolved what he pronounced is his 1st speech on 15th. It is really pity that he had to hug the same 4 ministers in his bunker who as per his statement had become ex which he very loudly and proudly announced but the question as if they are all ex then who is going to talk to him unless complete new set up is established which was not possible constitutionally in just few hours time in any case even if Zardari and his junta wanted to act upon the dictates of Dr Qadri. He must keep some cushion for accommodation if he is a prudent person in the truest sense of the word.
He should not have dragged it for so many days because he exposed his crowd to very hard weather conditions and hardships for nothing while was housed in a long bunker with his entire family with all the amenities one can think of being available in 5 star hotel. He had achieved the same if he had made public in his 1st address of 15th morning and given some hours notice and the government must have agreed to discuss provided he created such like situation.
Once it had rained in Islamabad it was next to impossible for the crowd to stay on because they were exposed to sky and after the rain the road they were sitting on was not only wet but had water too hence they were unable to sit but keep standing and there is no doubt that none can stand for many long hours. What the hell they faced is quite unexplainable. The tents were not enough even to house ladies what to talk of men but what to do otherwise.
On the last day when it rained why did he address so late since he was very much in his bunker and would have addressed even at 7 if not 8 and given final ultimatum to the government to discuss in 90 minutes. Zaradri at that point if time had no alternative but to come to terms with Dr which as such added another feather into his cap. Had he addressed earlier the said declaration had been signed and crowd had dispersed around 5pm and not 11pm on such a chilly day when most of the participants were tired if not exhausted which is quite but natural and there cannot be two different opinions on it.
No words to commend the spirit of the people and to honest to Allah I myself sitting in air conditioned house watching the live coverage was shivering in fear as to how strong were feelings despite facing nothing but odds. I have heard the interviews of the participants and each one of them irrespective of their gender or age were one voiced inn saying that they will stay on till their idol leader Dr Qadri does not say then to go off. Each and everyone who had come physically had reposed blind confidence in him believing that Dr will eventually win the race as he was not pleading his own case but if those who are really completely marooned and at the same time they are ones who are backbone of Pakistan.
Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait
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