Businesses resume as troops patrol streets

In the wake of the recent turmoil and violent protests in the garrison city after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan, which led to the closure of businesses and markets, the commercial activities have resumed in the city and cantonment areas.

The businessmen and traders had closed all markets and bazaars due to the fear of violence and arson as the angry PTI activists clashed with the police and ransacked several public properties in protest. However, after the deployment of troops from the Pakistan Army, law and order was restored in Rawalpindi, and the traders reopened all the business centres on Thursday.

Sources said the commercial activities continued as usual in all the markets and business centres located on the main roads, including Raja Bazar, Murree Road, Commercial Market, Bank Road, Peshawar Road, and Jhelum Road.

The citizens continued to shop as usual, and the traffic flow remained normal on all thoroughfares, including Murree Road and Faizabad Interchange.

The law enforcement agencies, including army troops, Rangers, police, and other security personnel, patrolled the main arteries of the city to maintain law and order.

A heavy contingent of police was also deployed throughout the day to deal with any untoward incident and to tackle the protestors. However, mobile internet service and Metro Bus Service remained shut for the third day, causing inconvenience to the users.

The citizens travelling in the twin cities faced difficulties due to the closure of the Metro Bus Service. The mobile internet service is also shut down in Rawalpindi, which has severely restricted online marketing, banking, and other online commercial activities.

The authorities have enforced Section 144 in the garrison city, like other districts, to maintain law and order. The administration has also deployed military personnel in Rawalpindi with the approval of the Punjab government.

The military personnel, along with members of the LEAs, are patrolling the main roads to ensure peace and security in the city.

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The authorities had placed containers and other barriers near the specific area of Mall Road to prevent any untoward incident and stop the protestors. However, when the situation improved, they moved the containers from Mall Road to the side and opened the road for general traffic.

Traffic was restored on all routes from Kachehri Chowk to Airport Road and Mall Road. Similarly, the traffic coming towards Mall Road from Peshawar Road and IJP Road also continued without any hindrance.

Police said that all traffic, including public transport in the city, was running normally. Peaceful citizens are urged to do their affairs, and all kinds of security will be provided to them, they said. “Any kind of political or religious gatherings in open spaces is banned in Rawalpindi until Section 144 is in place,” they added.

More cases registered, workers held

After the arrest of the PTI chief, the number of cases registered against the violent protesters in Rawalpindi has increased to 13 as 25 more party workers were rounded up on Thursday.

The number of workers arrested in the police crackdown has increased to 225. Sources said the footage from CCTV cameras was being used to identify protesters involved in violent protests.

The police said that in the crackdown on the violent protesters, the houses of PTI North Punjab President Aamir Kayani, former MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, Raja Rashid Hafeez and other leaders were also raided, but none of the leaders could be arrested.

All the PTI leaders have gone into hiding to avoid arrests while 21 more PTI workers have been sent to Adiala Jail on judicial remand, after which the number of workers sent to Adiala Jail has increased to 83.

The police have added Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act to all the cases registered against the PTI workers. The police said that the crackdown will continue to arrest the fugitives.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2023.