RAWALPINDI: Residents faced a shortage of essentials, such as fresh produce, as the garrison city remained cut off from the rest of the country due to a blockade by the police and the administration in light of protests announced by the PTI, the largest opposition party.

Just like Friday, people remained confined to their houses due to restrictions on their movement as well as the fear of possible clashes between the police and the PTI supporters, who marched on Islamabad’s D-Chowk to record their protest.

As the entry and exit points of the city remained blocked, the intercity trade also came to a halt, leading to a shortage of products in some areas. The blockade as well as the internet and cellular network’s outage also posed problems for labourers and ride-hailing services.

The local administration apparently had not made arrangements to avoid a shortage of food items in the city after it blocked all roads leading to Rawalpindi. The vegetables and fruits in the city come from the main markets of I-11 in Islamabad and Rawat but due to the closure of roads, these markets remained unavailable.

In the absence of fresh produce, vendors and shopkeepers sold stuff already available to them. “I did not go to the fruit and vegetable market,” said Muhammad Naseem, a shopkeeper on Ch Bostan Khan Road.

Surtaz Muzamil, a resident of Arya Mohallah, said that the movement of people had been restricted since Thursday night and shopkeepers could not go to the main market due to the road closure, which meant there were no fresh vegetables in the market. There was also a shortage of milk in many areas. Niaz Awan, a shopkeeper at Car Chowk, said there was enough milk in his shop’s chiller, but there was no fresh milk arriving from outside the city due to blockades.

Likewise, the labourers also faced the brunt of the blockades. Many were seen standing at Fawara Chowk and other main squares, looking for work. “I was searching for work to earn some money but there was no work today,” said Muhammad Nazir, a daily wager at Fawara Chowk.

Abdul Kareem, a labourer at Car Chowk, said that he was also waiting for work. “It is always difficult for us to earn money in such situations because roads are closed, people hardly engage in any construction work,” he said.

Due to protests, all educational institutions and offices remained closed on Saturday. Some banks that usually open their outlets on Saturday were closed this week due to the lockdown. Since there was no weekly off in Rawalpindi, the government offices witnessed a dip in attendance. On the other hand, all the bazaars and markets remained open in Saddar and cantonment areas.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2024