• Restrictions still in place around Nur Khan Airbase
• Localities still closed are likely to reopen today along with Pirwadhai and Faizabad bus stands, says official

RAWALPINDI: After a week of closer, many areas in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have reopened, bringing a sense of relief to the residents. However, residential and commercial areas around Nur Khan Airbase still remain closed.

Besides, Red Zone in Islamabad and bus terminals at Faizabad and Pirwadhai are yet to be reopened.

Goods transport was allowed to enter the twin cities after a week and commercial activities started as routine. Fuel stations also received fresh supply on Sunday morning.

Commercial areas in the garrison city like Raja Bazaar, Saddar and Commercial Market remained open on Sunday.

The Metro Bus Service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad also started operation; however, its route was limited from Saddar to Shaheed-i-Milat bus stop. Electric buses in twin cities were also plying on their routes.

“We started the metro bus service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Sunday morning and electric buses on different routes,” said Punjab Masstransit Authority Operation Manager Wajid Saleem.

He said that the bus service was closed on April 19 and rush was witnessed on Sunday. “In routine days, more than 120,000 people travel in this bus service while over 30,000 people use electric buses,” he said.

Meanwhile, for the last seven days, streets, link roads, markets and banks around the old airport have remained closed, confining residents of Shah Faisal Colony, Khalid Colony, Gulzar-i-Quaid, Fazal Town and other areas to their homes.

The residents of the affected localities said the government should reopen roads to allow movement so that students can appear in examinations, water tankers can reach homes, patients can access hospitals and fresh food supplies can be restored.

Imtiaz Ahmed, a resident of Faisal Colony, said localities around Nur Khan Airbase were still closed and there was shortage of water and food items in these areas.

“I got drinking water from adjoining localities while there is a dire need for water tanker as Wasa supply to the area is zero. Wasa is charging monthly bills but has failed to supply water to the colony,” he said.

Mohammad Umer, a resident of Gulzar-i-Quaid, said that all roads were opened in the twin cities but the residential colonies around the old Airport Road were still closed.

“Saturday and Sunday were weekly shopping days for families as mostly people work in offices in Islamabad, but they could not go out because of the blockades,” he said.

The affected residents said people in other parts of the twin cities felt a sigh of relief but they were still confined to their localities, which disturbed the routine life.

On the other hand, a senior official of the district administration told Dawn that the areas still closed were likely to reopen by Monday. He said the general bus stands at Pirwadhai and Faizabad will also be opened by Monday.

He said due to movement of foreign delegates on the old Airport Road, the local police and administration had taken extra security measures to avoid any untoward situation.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2026