RAWALPINDI: With cricket matches between Pakistan and Sri Lanka under way at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the administration’s closure of roads around the venue has created problems for residents, students and traders.

For the security of the cricket teams, the administration and local police have closed Murree Road from 6th Road to Faizabad and Double Road from Murree Road to I.J. Principal Road.

With the suspension of metro bus service and diversion of vehicles, a traffic mess was created in other parts of the city. Though, local police and traffic wardens deployed additional force to ensure the smooth flow of traffic on the road, they appeared helpless to handle the situation in the downtown areas.

Taxi drivers refused to go to Murree Road due to traffic rush while people were seen walking on the main road.

Road closure, suspension of metro bus service inconvenience commuters

Mohammad Fayyaz, a resident of Data Ganj Bux Road, said: “I had to use Saidpur Road to reach my office in Islamabad via I.J. Principal Road. But, you have to take U-turn from Pirwadhai as all the U-turns on main road had been closed.”

“It costs me more fuel and time. Petrol price had escalated to Rs400 per litre and I had to spend extra three litres of petrol on the alternative route,” he said.

Raja Afsar, a resident of Dhoke Kala Khan, said the closure of roads for cricket matches created problems for the residents.

“We had to take alternative route of Islamabad Expressway to return home from our office in Islamabad,” he added.

Raja Afsar further said that in the evening, traffic police closed the Faizabad interchange after which “we had to use Sadiqabad Road and head to 6th Road and then towards I.J. Principal Road”.

Raja Safeer, a resident of Shamsabad, said that his daughter was facing trouble to go to university in H-9 due to closure of Double Road. He said many students had to use the longer route to reach their universities.

On the other hand, traders demanded that the cricket stadium be shifted out of the city as their business was getting affected due to closure of roads.

“Police and district administration forced the shopkeepers of Murree Road and Double Road to shut down their shops during matches, practice of teams and their movements. For the last three days, there has been no business,” said Rawalpindi Traders Association President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha while talking to Dawn.

He said the cricket stadium should be shifted outside the city areas so that traders and residents do not face any problem.

He said, “we have been demanding that the matches be held outside the twin cities but nobody is listening.”

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2026