Residents breathe a sigh of relief

Traders face heavy losses due to continuous closure of hotels and business centres

RAWALPINDI:

As the matches of the ongoing 2023 cricket series between Pakistan and New Zealand ended in Rawalpindi, the virtually locked-down residents took a sigh of relief as food stalls and other business activities resumed around the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

During these matches, citizens residing around Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium faced a lot of hardships due to the closure of roads and streets and the virtual siege of the entire locality as the residents remained stuck in homes when the matches were under way as security officials did not allow movement.

During the matches, students, office-goers and even ailing people were not allowed to leave their homes, leaving the residents in a dilemma and mental agony.

Gridlocks were witnessed on Murree Road and other arteries due to the closure of roads for matches between Pakistan and New Zealand.

Sources said the businessmen and hotels industry faced heavy losses in the wake of the continuous closure of hotels and business centres for over two weeks.

Citizens also faced immense difficulties due to the closure of the routes for the arrival and departure of the cricket teams from Islamabad to the stadium.

Due to the arrival of international teams, the hotels and business centres located on Stadium Road, including the food court, located under the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, were continuously closed for more than two weeks, due to which the hotel owners and businessmen had to suffer heavy losses.

Similarly, around 5,000 working class associated with the hotel industry was also severely affected.

As the matches ended, the stadium road at Shamsabad was fully opened for general traffic, while business activities started as usual on the food street including the double road, on which the citizens, workers and owners associated with the hotel industry have breathed a sigh of relief.

Similarly, stringent security arrangements were made by the Rawalpindi police during the matches.

Over 6,000 officers and officials of the Rawalpindi and City Traffic Police performed security and traffic duties during the matches.

Rawalpindi RPO Syed Khurram Ali and CPO Syed Khalid Mahmood Hamdani were also present in the field to review the security arrangements.

CPO Hamdani paid tribute to the police personnel for ensuring foolproof arrangements while performing their duties during all the matches and said that every officer and every police personnel deserves praise for doing his duty in the best possible way.

“The role of Rawalpindi police is important in promoting international cricket in Pakistan. Rawalpindi Police is always committed to performing its duties,” he said.

The cricket teams have left for Karachi to play three ODIs in the port city.

Two T20s and as many ODI matches were played between the Green Shirts and the Kiwis in the garrison city before they headed for the port city.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Safeer Ahmed, a citizen, said that during the matches, the complete closure of the Double Road, especially during the arrival and departure of the cricket teams, and the closure of the traffic on Murree Road and other local roads caused severe difficulties to the passers-by.