ISLAMABAD: With Lal Masjid operation still fresh in the mind, Ali Khan, a resident of Sector G-6/4, was pensively watching the Azadi marchers from outside his house on Friday.

A deputy secretary in the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Mr Khan said: “We suffered a lot during the operation. I still remember the curfew that kept us at home for hours without food. I cannot forget the bullets that whizzed past my house.”

Talking to Dawn, he said this time around too the residents of the area are bracing for the worst as the venue of the sit-in was just a few yards away from the sector.

Besides, Aabpara Chowk is a hub of protest meetings and most of the time, the protesters get violent. Whenever, police use tear gas to quell the protest, the residents have to suffer from the fumes, he said.

“I am again worried as to what would happen in the next few days because the protesters are sitting just a few hundreds yards away from my house,” he said.

Voicing similar concerns, Zafar Iqbal, an officer in Estate Office, said the protests at Aabpara Chowk or in its vicinity refreshed memories of Lal Masjid operation.

“Residents of Sector G-6 suffered the most during the operation,” he said, adding that each time when a protest is held, the residents of the area face various problems, including communication,” he said.

Another resident Awais Khan, while talking to Dawn, said that every time he heard the noise of of a crowd coming, he ran out to see if his children were alright.

“Most of the children take interest in such rallies and despite advising them to keep a distance, they still go towards the crowd. Children can be injured in case of clash between police and protesters,” he said.

“I still remember a person standing on the roof of a five-star hotel getting killed after being hit by a bullet fired during the Lal Masjid operation,” he said.

“Moreover when ever protests are held police close all the roads due to which residents have to stay home. The government should designate an area for all kinds of protests,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2014