RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: Fearing closure of markets in the wake of Azadi March, the residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Sunday thronged local bazaars to purchase food items.

With last year’s experience following curfew in Rawalpindi after Ashura violence still fresh in their minds, citizens are not taking any chances this time.

“I wanted to store food and necessary medicines to avoid the situation we faced last year. I have purchased milk for my children and medicines for my parents,” said Mohammad Abbas, a resident of Chittian Hattian near Committee Chowk.

He said reports of a standoff between the government and the opposition clearly indicated that the city would witness security situation for at least two or three days.

Zafar Sheikh, a resident of Satellite Town, said his wife gave him a list of necessary food items soon after watching news on TV channels about people in Lahore suffering from food shortage.

Wary of last year’s experience, people not taking any chances

He said his family had planned to go to Murree on Saturday but dropped the idea after witnessing the situation.

Nazir Hussain, a resident of Mukha Singh Estate, complained that grocery and other food items were being sold at higher prices. “The shopkeepers are complaining about low supply of food items owing to restrictions on entry of trucks in the city and shortage of fuel,” he said.

Raja Mazhar Abbasi, a shopkeeper at Narankari bazaar, said more people arrived in the bazaar to purchase food items.

The residents of Islamabad also started storing edible items on Sunday.

Shahid Nazir, a citizen, said if the capital city is sealed, there will be no supply of edible items. “I have stored flour, rice, vegetables and other kitchen items in my house.”

Another citizen, Mehboob Ahmed, said a number of people had cancelled their plans to visit their relatives in Rawalpindi fearing they might not be able to return.

“Moreover, the electronic media is creating panic that the city has been sealed and major roads are being blocked with containers,” he said.

Though most of the roads and entry points to Islamabad remained open, the electronic media raised concerns among the citizens by stating that the city had been sealed and Red Zone handed over to the army.

Though containers were placed on the greenbelts, Expressway, I.J. Principal Road, Murree Road, Kashmir Avenue and other major roads remained open.

Only Faisal Avenue was closed because of a protest rally held by Jamaat-i-Islami to express solidarity with the people of Palestine.

A police official at the Faizabad picket said containers placed on the greenbelts would only be used to block the highway when the participants of the PTI’s Azadi march reached Islamabad.

“Even for that the police will wait for the approval of the ministry of interior. A large number of containers are empty so it has also been decided to fill them with dirt so that the participants of the rally cannot remove them,” he said.

“However, the police have instructed the management of over 1,500 guesthouses to provide a list of people staying with them. It is possible that people who want to participate in the march may come to the capital before August 14,” he said.

President Super Market Traders Welfare Association Sarfaraz Mughal told Dawn that traders were feeling insecure.

“A number of people have been injured and vehicles damaged in different cities of Punjab. There are so many shops in the market which even do not have shutters. The government should ensure security in the market because the traders have nothing to do with the rally,” he said.

Published in Dawn, Aug 11th, 2014