Food shortage imminent amid PTI protests
A virtual shortage of food items and petroleum products has loomed large in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as goods transport vehicles remained stuck at different locations amidst protests by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers, who blocked different roads and highways for the third consecutive day on Wednesday.
Routine life, businesses and traffic flow almost came to a standstill in Rawalpindi as scores of PTI workers blocked several key arteries and highways for hours.
As a result of the protests on the third day, vehicles, motorists, ambulances and school vans remained stuck on roads for hours. Intracity and intercity transport and goods transport also remained disrupted for hours. Owing to the protests, goods transport trucks remained stuck on roads, suspending the delivery of essential items including fruit and vegetables to the twin cities.
The PTI workers held protests at five main places including Old Airport Road, Murree Road, Pirwadhai Mor, Jhelum Road at Sawan Bridge and Taxila. The protests badly affected traffic flow on GT Road, Murree Road and Old Airport Road
Islamabad and Rawalpindi police struggled to guide motorists and travellers to opt for alternative routes to reach their respective destinations.
Punjab CM spokesman Fayyaz Chohan and MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafique led a protest rally on Muree Road.
Protestors led by MPA Haji Amjad closed the old Airport Road near Gulzar Quaid. Punjab Minister Raja Basharat led a protest rally on IJP Road which was closed to traffic at Pirwidhaii Mor.
Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Wasiq Qayum and K-P Assembly Deputy Speaker Mehmood Jan led a protest rally on the motorway (M2) for the third consecutive day.
When PTI K-P protesters removed barriers for vehicles of Tableeghi Jammat, the party’s Punjab workers objected to it. They resorted to almost an altercation before the PTI K-P ended their protest and removed camps.
Protesters led by former federal minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan closed the GT Road from Taxila Ratta Shah Chowk and Sarayay Kala Chowk. Protesters led by MPA Haji Amjad also blocked GT Road near Sawan Pul. Due to the blocked of GT Road, vehicles including goods transport vehicles remained stranded for hours.
Goods transport vehicles and oil tankers could not deliver the shipment to various locations in the twin cities due to the blockade of roads.
Traders said that a shortage of edible items has started to rear its ugly head in the twin cities as transport goods vehicles remained stranded on GT Road for the last three days.
PTI workers also put tyres on fire and raised slogans against the government during a protest on Shamsabad-Murree Road.
Ambulance service was also affected and several vehicles transporting patients to the hospitals got stuck in the traffic gridlocks.
PTI workers blocked traffic on both sides of roads at Rata Shah Margalla, Taxila and 'Saray Kala Chowk' on GT Road, due to which commuters and residents of the area faced hardship.
The PTI activists also staged a protest on Swan Bridge and blocked traffic going toward Rawalpindi.
City Traffic Police spokesman said alternative routes were arranged to facilitate the citizens. He said me that Mall Road, Peshawar Road and other Rawalpindi city roads except for Murree Road near Iqbal Park were open to vehicular traffic.
Talking to the media, Chohan said that the call for 72 hours protest has come to an end and the workers did not even break a leaf.
He said that Imran Khan’s workers believed in the ideology of peace. “We are peaceful people and want peace also. We started a peaceful long march but some elements attempted to turn it into a bloody long march.
We will make the next strategy according to the party policy,” he said adding that the party’s halted long march will resume from Wazirabad under Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday while Pervez Khatak will lead the long march from K-P.
He said that both long marches will reach Rawalpindi at the same time. He claimed that their protests and the long march were for the better future of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, all government and private educational institutions in Rawalpindi tehsil will remain closed on Thursday due to protests by PTI workers and the closure of major highways in Rawalpindi, said a notification issued by the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner office.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th, 2022.