In preparation for the third and final Test match between Pakistan and England at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, local businesses and public spaces have been heavily impacted by security measures.
All shops in the food street near the stadium and along Double Road, Shamsabad, have been closed, while roads in the vicinity have been sealed.
Allama Iqbal Park, Rawalpindi's largest amusement park, has been cordoned off for the entire week, restricting recreational activities, including walking and jogging.
This has led to mounting frustration among locals and business owners, as they face an unannounced shutdown that will last for five days, up to Friday.
Double Road, one of the busiest routes in Shamsabad, has been blocked using containers and barbed wire, affecting around 100 eateries, small restaurants, and other shops in the food street.
Schools, businesses, and offices in the area have also been forced to close, and the Shamsabad metro bus station will remain non-operational, requiring passengers to disembark three furlongs away.
A heavy police presence has been deployed, and all movement and traffic in the vicinity have been halted.
Residents will not be able to access Double Road during the match days, and additional restrictions have been imposed, including a ban on aerial firing, carrying weapons, and kite flying in the surrounding areas.
Business owners are voicing their frustration. Arjumand, a shopkeeper on the food street, lamented, "The food street is closed every other month for some reason. It would be better if it were relocated. Our businesses are suffering."
Iqbal Hussain, leader of the Anjuman Tajaran Double Road, added, "Road closures have completely stopped business.
The administration blocks roads for matches, protests, or conferences, and we bear the losses. Taxes should be waived or at least halved in these affected areas."
Residents, including Agha Feroze and Nasir Kazmi of Shamsabad, have called for the cricket stadium to be moved elsewhere. "Whenever there's a match, we're trapped in our homes, and our children miss school," they said.
The Test match is scheduled to take place from October 21 to October 25, with roads already closed for team practice on Sunday.
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'Foolproof' security for Pak-Eng match
OUR CORRESPONDENT
RAWALPINDI. As preparations for the third Test match between Pakistan and England begin, the Rawalpindi police has deployed over 3,000 officers and personnel to ensure security during the teams' three-day practice session, starting today.
The match itself is set to take place on October 24 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Hamdani will oversee the security plan, with Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Hafiz Kamran Asghar supervising the arrangements.
In addition, daily search operations will be conducted in the Rawal and Potohar divisions, supported by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and the Special Branch.
Both cricket teams arrived in Islamabad on Sunday and are set to begin practice on Monday, October 21, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The practice sessions will run daily from 9:30am to 10:00pm until October 23.
The police have established a strict security plan, dividing the stadium and surrounding areas into four zones. More than 3,000 police personnel, including 11 superintendents of police (SP), 11 deputy superintendents of police (DSP), 41 inspectors and station house officers (SHOs), 200 senior officers, 87 head constables, and 430 constables will be on duty. Additional support will be provided by the Punjab Constabulary and Elite Force, with 48 Dolphin Force officers and 15 female police personnel deployed for security.
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