RAWALPINDI: As the Rawalpindi administration took steps to contain a PTI protest in the city, the residents living in the vicinity of Murree Road remained confined to their neighbourhoods, with some claiming that the teargas fired by the police had entered their houses, compounding their agonies.

The ‘virtual siege’ by the police and paramilitaries paralysed the routine activities and the security level was placed on ‘high alert’ in light of the demonstration.

The garrison city presented a deserted look with containers placed on almost all routes leading to the protest site at Liaquat Bagh. The worst affected area was Peshawar Road where the administration placed containers at the Chairing Cross, Qasim Market, and Military Hospital squares. Other areas, such as the T-Chowk, Iqbal Road, 26 Number Chungi, Faizabad, Soan Bridge, Kalma Chowk, Tench Bhatta, 4th, 5th, and 6th roads, Double Road, and connecting roads and streets were also closed to traffic.

As the stench of teargas permeated the air, the police and PTI workers clashed on Murree Road which was inaccessible to residents due to obstructions placed by the administration. The PTI leaders still managed to arrive near Committee Chowk in small groups but were pushed back by the police every time they tried to get on Murree Road. The Punjab government had imposed Section 144 in Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum for September 28 and 29 to stop the PTI from converging on Liaquat Bagh.

Teargas fumes ‘enter homes’; hospitals inaccessible to doctors, patients

Use of teargas

The excessive use of teargas – that entered nearby houses – forced the residents to keep their doors and windows shut but the gas managed to enter houses, causing breathing problems for children and the elderly. “I was going to my brother’s house near Waris Khan but the teargas created problems for my two children as they thought someone had thrown chillies in their eyes,” said Muhammad Naveed, who was riding a bike on Murree Road.

Scores of motorcyclists were seen finding their way through narrow streets to circumvent the Murree Road blockade. Usually, the service road along Old Airport Road is opened during such protests, but this time, the administration closed all the streets and roads confining residents to their neighbourhoods. Many patients and doctors were also caught up in roadblocks. A senior professor and chief interventional cardiologist, who did not wish to be named, had to cancel many appointments with his patients because he could not move out of his house.

“I cannot reach the hospital to attend to my patients and have cancelled all the appointments due to road blockades. My staff has been repeatedly calling me from the hospital and a heart patient is stuck near Jhelum as he could not move towards Rawalpindi,” professor and chief cardiologist retired major general Zafarul Islam told Dawn. The number of patients in other government hospitals, as well as the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, remained low as patients were unable to reach the hospital due to the ‘police siege’.

A female patient, who was suffering from heart disease and underwent angioplasty at a hospital near Golra Morr on Friday, took three hours to reach her residence in the PWD Housing Society due to the obstructions placed on the routes.

The Metro Bus Service was also suspended due to the protest whereas the gas station had erected tents around their outlets. The government and private educational institutions were also closed in addition to most government offices.

As the administration sealed the routes leading to the city, the prices of perishable goods also spiked due to a disruption in the supply chain. A kilogramme of tomatoes, which usually costs Rs100, surged to Rs240 on Saturday. While talking to Dawn, a local vegetable vendor in Gujar Khan said that goods could not reach the city on Saturday, and the shortage of supply had skyrocketed the prices.

— Hamid Asghar in Gujar Khan also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2024