December 31, 2007	Monday	Zilhaj 20, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 30: Things began to improve though at a slow pace with shops and filling stations doing partial business in parts of the city on Sunday.

Traffic on roads, however, remained thin and the police confronted the PPP protesters venting anger against their leader’s assassination. There was no major clash in any part of the city.

The PPP had arranged Quran Khwani in many areas of the city for the late Benazir Bhutto.

Most major markets observed shutdown, but small shops and outlets did some trading. Petrol pumps in many areas like the Defence Housing Authority did business in intervals but wound up their stations by the evening. All-Pakistan Petrol Pumps and CNG Stations chairman Sami Khan told Dawn that the supply of the stock would be restored by Monday which would ease out the situation.

Motorists and commuters faced inconvenience as many could not get the vehicles fuelled and find public transport. Rickshaws and cabs charged the people at will.

“People avoid going out for two reasons, i.e., for fear of damage to their vehicles and preserving petrol for any emergency because no one knows how long will it take for the oil supply to improve,” said Muhammad Mohsin, a resident of Gulberg-II.

“My family has been staying indoors for the last three days because of these factors,” he added.

Uncertainty prevails because of a lack of information about the petrol supply from Karachi.

Many of those coming out had to hitchhike in the absence of the public transport. “Fortunate are those who own a car or a motorbike, but a vast majority depends on the public transport,” Muhammad Rizwan said while waiting for some conveyance to reach Shadman where he wanted to see an ailing relative.

“I have to be there, but there is no way I can walk up to Shadman from Charar Pind (village) in DHA. I have been asking for favour all along the route and made it to the Services Hospital from where I would walk to my destination.”

All main medical stores, even those situated on premises of major hospitals, kept their shutters down. “We really do not know what to do when doctors hand over prescriptions and ask for medicines,” Muhammad Ramzan, whose father is admitted to the Services Hospital, wanted to know.

“My father, who is an asthmatic, had an attack on Friday and even supply of inhalers has become a problem. My family has been arguing with doctors to arrange medicines, but in vain. They say such medicines have never been part of stocks and we cannot get them from market. No one really knows what to do,” he said.—Staff Reporter