ISLAMABAD - Government offices on Wednesday presented a deserted look after the PTI and PAT protesters entered the Red Zone and set up their camps at the Constitution Avenue.
Both the PTI and PAT have set up their separate camps in front of the Parliament House and blocked the Constitution Avenue leaving no option for the public servants but to take a day off.
PAT chief Dr. Tahirul Qadri’s bulletproof container is parked in the middle of the intersection that connects Jinnah Avenue with the Constitution Avenue and then there is Imran Khan’s container that is used as a stage and to hold meetings, also parked at a stone’s throw from the Cabinet Block.
On the other hand, marchers have staged their sit-in stretching at an area the PM Secretariat to the Federal Secretariat and the Qadri special force is providing security their protesters.
Police blocked all the roads leading towards the federal secretariat, Parliament House, Supreme Court, Cabinet Block and Election Commission. Only Margalla Road was open for the government employees to attend their offices but they could not reach their offices in time due to badly traffic jam at Margalla Road.
Talking to The Nation, a senior official of Establishment Division informed this scribe that the attendance of Division’s offices was low from the day one when Imran Khan and Dr. Qadri started their sit-in.
However, he said that the attendance of employees in offices, particularly on Wednesday was less than 30 percent of total employees after both marches entered red zone, he added.
“I would not come rather it would not be possible for me to attend office in coming days until both the sit-in are moved away,” he added.
It was because of the security arrangements and containers on the roads that those who were making efforts to reach office were arriving late and would have to leave early as well, he added
Muhammad Javed, an employee of Ministry of Planning Commission, said he reached his office on public transport and faced difficulties because he used to come office on official transport but he could not find office bus.
He said that police had not allowed the public transport to enter the Red Zone. He informed that he has applied for office leave for next Monday.