ISLAMABAD - The wide avenues in Islamabad were deserted with shopkeepers in commercial markets waiting desperately for shoppers. The frequently-visited cafes had vacant chairs. It was a day of jubilation and revolution without public participation on August 14, the Independence Day.
Early in the morning, the police would rule the roads and streets in twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad as part of security measures taken by government to thwart influx of political activists in the federal capital, the venue of the long march announced by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) and Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT).
Until evening, the police witnessed no resistance from supporters of Imran Khan and Dr Qadri, contrary to the claims and fear that the diehard teenage activists would pull down every obstacle in their way to Islamabad.
The native and apolitical residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi had confined themselves to their houses, leaving the empty avenues in Islamabad open to be filled by political mob.
Daniyal, 36, is one of native residents who thinks the Islooites have sacrificed their celebrations for the 'outsiders' who would stage sit-in in the federal capital.
For vendors, festivals and rallies earn big profits due to hot sale of party flags and national flags. But Thursday was a bad day for them in the absence of political supporters and the natives of Islamabad.
PTI has been famous for demonstrating charged rallies and his supporters would usually throng the venue at earliest. But until evening on Thursday, not a single activist was observed waving flag or chanting slogan in the deserted Islamabad.
Apart from political activists, the entire Islamabad lacked a gathering point or demonstration of celebration and the only frequently-visited Chaye Khana in Super Market too was observed hosting few guests.
Vendors would fly national flags in a desperate attempt to attract motorists and passers-by for selling their items but nobody would give a heed. Petrol pumps that would usually witness long queues of vehicles were barren on Thursday.
Salesmen preferred to pass time by playing cricket on the deserted open spaces in commercial markets in the absence of those who promised revolution in Islamabad on Independence Day.
"There are very occasions when Islamabad becomes a live city. Usually this city is calm. On August 14, this city is famous for celebrations. It looks like politics has snatched the scene from Islamabad," Khizar Hayat told The Nation.
The fear, that charged political and religious activists may resort to violence, has kept visitors at bay from roads and markets as the huge containers placed at different parts of the city amid heavy deployment of police and Rangers had turned the city into a police state.
People glued to TV screens the whole day as TV channels extensively covered the approaching rallies from Lahore and other parts of the country. But the viewers, who confined themselves indoors, saw no assembly of people in Islamabad.
Interestingly, the Islamabad-Rawalpindi chapters of PTI that would ensure small 'reception rallies' for welcoming participants coming from other parts, were nowhere to be seen, despite that PTI's stalwart Asad Umar represents Islamabad in National Assembly.
In Rawalpindi, the district of Punjab where PTI has won maximum seats, the roads were equally barren where PTI activists could not manage to display banners or portraits of their leader due to fear of police, although there was no reported crackdown against any political worker.
Political activists gradually started pouring into the Capital in the dark but at the cost of the bright day that remained tensed triggering residents to remain indoors and sacrifice the occasion of festivities and celebrations.