As the up-in-arms residents of Rawalpindi, led by MNA Hanif Abbasi and MPA Shehryar Khan of PML-N, on Monday blocked all main roads linking the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad for more than six hours to protest against persistent gas load-shedding. The police resorted to baton-charge and teargas shelling to disperse them to clear the way for commuters stuck in the worst traffic mess. As the mercury dipped, the gas supply in all localities of Rawalpindi decreased, causing problems for the residents who staged protest demonstration and blocked major roads including the main Murree Road, Rawal Road and Airport Road and marched towards Islamabad. They also blocked the Islamabad Expressway.
Hundreds of people, including women and children, young and old, took part in the protest. The protesters were holding placards and banners inscribed with “restore gas immediately”. They were also chanting slogans against the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL). Heavy contingent of police deployed on the occasion used baton-charge and fired tear-gas shells when the protesters refused to clear the Islamabad Expressway. The furious protesters burnt tyres and hurled stones at the vehicles to block all kinds of traffic.
Addressing the angry protesters, Hanif Abbasi said they would continue the sit-ins on the Islamabad Expressway until the government resolved the problem. “We will also block all roads leading to the residences and offices of the rulers,” Abbasi said, adding that they wanted to send the message to the prime minister that people were suffering and their patience was running out of control. The protesters chanted slogans against the government and demanded immediate action to resolve the problem. They said the natural gas pressure emerged with the advent of winter and the domestic consumers were facing the load-shedding for the whole day.
Protesters said they had been facing the problem for the last several weeks. “Pressure is too low and it takes hours to make tea. In some areas there is no gas and people are unable to cook meal for the whole day and are forced to use alternative expensive energy sources,” they said.
The commuters between Rawalpindi and Islamabad faced the worst traffic jam and difficulties in reaching their destinations during the protest demonstration, as the twin cities were virtually cut off from each other. Some vehicle and motorcycle owners tried to defy the obstacles in a bid to reach their destination, but the angry mob did not allow them.
Long queues of vehicles were seen on the Islamabad Express and Murree Road and motorists were compelled to wait for hours. The motorists said the authorities concerned needed to solve problems in order to avert such a protest. Adnan Zeb, a motorist, said he had been stuck up in the traffic for the last three hours as all roads were blocked by the protesters. It was the responsibility of the government to pay attention to people’s demand, he added. A government official Naeem said he was traveling to home from Islamabad to Rawalpindi and got trapped in traffic for three hours. He said he was not sure when he would reach his home. Later, police removed burnt tyres and stones from the road and cleared it for traffic.
Shahzad Town police arrested six protesters while search operation for further arrests is in progress. During the clash between the police and protesters, five policemen, including DSP Khursheed Khan and SHO Shahzad Town Younus Gojar were injured.
