RAWALPINDI: Despite the passage of one year, work on Raja Bazaar Pedestrian Street from Fawara Chowk to Hamilton Road has not been completed, with the dug-up road creating problems for visitors and traders.

The road from Fawara Chowk to Hamilton Road commonly known Dingi Khoi was closed for vehicles as the local administration announced its decision to turn it into a pedestrian street at a cost of Rs450 million.

Work to shift electricity and PTCL cables underground has been progressing at a slow pace. Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi had given the deadline of December 30 to complete the work, but now the deadline has been extended to January 30.

However, the slow work has created problems for visitors to the main market of the garrison city. Traders are also worried about the dug-up roads and said their customers avoid visiting the market.

Traders complain about financial losses as visitors avoid market due to dug-up road

Mohammad Safeer, a visitor to Mughal Sarai, said that it was difficult to come to shopping as there was no place for parking. “Fawara Chowk parking space is almost full and it took me half an hour to reach the market after parking the vehicle,” he said.

Saleem Raja, a visitor to Namak Mandi, said he had to visit the bazaar for weekly shopping as the rates of grocery was less than other markets but he was facing problems in reaching the bazaar due to digging of the road.

Ijaz Ahmed, a visitor to Madina Market, said that this was a wholesale market of clothes and he faced problems to reach the area from Fawara Chowk.

When contacted, Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) Municipal Officer Raffaqat Gondal said Iesco had failed to complete the work to underground electricity cables in Raja Bazaar and it was likely to complete by next month.

“After undergrounding the electricity cables, work of RMC will start to construct the road, footpaths and beautification of the pedestrian street and it will take two to three months,” he said.

He said Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), internet service providers and PTCL had already completed their work and they will give final touches to their connections once Iesco handed over the road to RMC.

“It is a Rs450 million worth of project and Rs170 million have been given to Iesco to underground the electricity cables and Rs50 million to Wasa to relocate the water lines. Rs250 million will be spent on the beautification and construction of the road, footpaths and drains by RMC,” he said.

To a question about the Commercial Market pedestrian street, Mr Gondal said that Iesco was likely to complete work to underground cables by mid-January after which the beautification work worth Rs370 million will start.

On the other hand, Rawalpindi Traders Association President Sharjeel Mir said that traders were facing financial losses due to the development work.

He said that shopkeepers were facing problems to load and unload goods in the market and keep cleaning their shops from morning to evening to avoid dust. He said traders were against the pedestrian street but the administration closed the road for traffic and has failed to complete the work even after a year.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2026