Rush of people at Rawalpindi railway station. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The crackdown against protesters blocking the Faizabad Interchange proved to be nightmare for commuters. There was no public transport, while people with personal conveyance were faced with road blocks.
Passengers heading out of the city had to rush to railway station to take a train out of town. It seemed like Edi rush on the booking windows of the station.
People dragging their luggage were seen trickling in at the railaway station, while passengers disembarking the trains were in for a greater shock.
Protests break out across the country after Faizabad crackdown
Taxi drivers were demanding thousands of rupees to take people to their destination on the chaotic day.
The day saw further violence from protesters who declare themselves as following a path of peace.
People stranded at different arteries all across the capital had nothing but one demand from the state authorities — to establish the writ of the state and put their house in order so people do not suffer.
“It is painful to witness the exploitation of a magnificent religion,” regretted a woman stuck in a traffic jam near Rawal Chowk.
She argued with policemen in vain, who told her loudly that she will “have to wait until the problem resolves itself.”
A heavy contingent of police and rangers were deployed on the roads, which had also been blocked with barricades and containers.
Law enforcement officials continued to direct people to take any route open to them “go wherever they could” as roads would only be opened once the protest had concluded.
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“People suffer every time there is a rally or protest,” a biker said.
The protest caused inconvenience for people travelling on the main arteries in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and long queues were seen on the road. Those using public transport were affected the most. A large number of people, including aged people, women and children, were seen marching home on different roads in the absence of public transport.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2017.
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