RAWALPINDI: Despite placement of containers on main arteries between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Saturday remained normal in the garrison city. However, uncertainty prevailed in the downtown and cantonment areas ahead of the protest on Sunday.

A senior official of the local administration told Dawn that placing containers at some entry points of the city was a preventive measures to avoid any untoward situation.

He said that there was no new container brought to block the roads. He said police pickets had already been established and had been asked to stay vigilant to avoid any untoward situation.

“We opened the shops on Saturday but there were less customers in the bazaar. If the roads are closed in and around Raja Bazaar then shops will also remain closed otherwise, we will open the shops as per routine,” said Rawalpindi Traders Association President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha while talking to Dawn.

He said that mostly people were facing price hike and had no time to be part of the such activities in the city.

He said the business community held routine business in the city and the mostly people were busy in their work instead of taking part in political shows.

“We suffered a lot during the last few months and it was not possible for us to allow any more wheel jams and protests,” he said.

“Traders are against protests and rallies in the city as they affected their business. We already asked the government to allocate a space for protesters so that they do not disturb the routine business in the markets,” he said.

Although Sunday is a weekly off in Saddar area, Cantonment Traders Association General Secretary Zafar Qadri said shopkeepers had decided to open the shops on Sunday as they had suffered a lot due to recent past developments in politics in the last few months. He said that customers were already avoiding coming to Saddar due to closure of Bank Road for vehicles for the last two weeks.

Mr Qadri said the RCB had started work on turning Bank Road into a pedestrian street and this had affected the business of the shopkeepers.

“Now, the protest will further ruin business activities in the garrison city. The government should not close roads and the opposition should not stage any protest in the bazaars,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2024