We're bored, say grumpy policemen at Islamabad sit-ins

Policemen deployed at the massive sit-ins here are their wits end since "nothing is happening" and the boredom is too much.

Islamabad is swarming with police personnel who are deployed at the sit-ins organised by Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Tahirul Qadri led Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). Both parties are pressing for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif since, they say, the 2013 election was rigged.

"...worst of all is the boredom; there is nothing to do here," Dawn quoted a police inspector from Faisalabad as saying.

Most police personnel seemed to be enjoying the music blaring from the PTI enclosure.

Another police official lamented: "I am a commando, I'm trained to deal with dangerous situations. We were told to defend the capital, but what is this?"

"(Our superiors) keep on telling us that we have to be ready for action all the time but nothing is happening."

Other police personnel too concurred.

A large number of the police personnel protecting the Red Zone, which houses diplomatic missions and other important buildings including the prime minister's house, were called in from the Gujaranwala, Faisalabad and Mianwali regions.

"We were told in the briefing that there should be no excuses, otherwise the contingent from Gujranwala will laugh at us - but look at us now, standing here like a herd of goats," a policeman from Mianwali was quoted as saying.