ISLAMABAD: The near-complete shutdown of the capital took a toll on citizens of the twin cities on Sunday as people, cowed by reports of clashes and arrests on the streets of Rawalpindi, remained confined to their homes.

All roads leading to Benazir Bhutto International Airport were blocked and life in many localities of the twin cities ground to a virtual halt.

The areas of Civil Lines, Jhanda Chichi, Chaklala Scheme III, Garibabad and a dozen other localities were affected by the shutdown.

Public transport, petrol and CNG stations remained shut and few cars were seen on the roads.

Travellers headed to the airport were taken there via shuttle from Katchery Chowk. On Monday, a shuttle service is expected to ferry passengers from the capital city to the airport from Peshawar Mor.

The Quaid-i-Azam University and the Federal Urdu University in the capital will remain closed on Monday.

Foreign missions such as the US Embassy in Islamabad also advised staffers to stay home and are expected to function with only a skeleton crew.

Those trying to enter the capital from Rawalpindi found it tough going. Bumper to bumper traffic was witnessed at Golra Chowk on Sunday night as people rushed to enter the capital before it went into lockdown.

While the media was not allowed inside the airport on Sunday, there were reports of long queues of stranded passengers at the terminal for hours in the absence of public transport.

Faisal Abbas Khan, who is traveling to China with his family, said they had to face strict security procedures while heading to the airport. “We had to show our passports and tickets to the security personnel. Only those with relevant documents are being allowed to proceed; the rest are being turned away,” Mr Khan said. He said containers had been placed at Koral Chowk, and those on foot had to show their identity cards.

Mahrukh Kayani, a student of Duke University in the US, had to begin her internship at the International Labour Organisation office in Islamabad on Monday. However, she was stranded in Rawalpindi on her way from Lahore.

“It took us almost 7 hours to reach via the GT Road. When we got to Rawalpindi, we saw the roads were blocked with containers and buses. We had to take an hour-long detour through Bahria Town and the Defence Housing Authority to enter Rawalpindi,” she exclaimed, adding, “Now I am being told that I cannot enter Islamabad as all the roads leading to the capital are blocked. So, I have to stay tonight at my aunt’s house in Rawalpindi. I do not know how I will get to work tomorrow.” Ms Kayani was waiting for more updates from her office on whether to try and make her way to the city or not.

However, it was business as usual for cellular companies and a Mobilink spokesperson said their offices would remain open on Monday.

“If the staff living in Rawalpindi cannot reach their offices in Islamabad, they will be asked to stay back and work from home,” said an official from Telenor.

Naima Saeed, an INGO worker, told Dawn she was supposed to arrive from Lahore via bus on Sunday night. “We have no idea how we are going to get to Islamabad,” she said.

Humayun, who works for an educational firm, told Dawn that he had to be in Islamabad for an important conference on Monday. “I managed to get to Islamabad after midnight and barely made it into the city before they shut down Golra Chowk,” he said.

Some women were seen on main Kutchery Chowk trying to go back home and waiting for public transport. “We went to Moti Bazaar for shopping and when we reached Kutchery Chowk, the road was closed and there was no public transport,” said Rehmat Bibi, a resident of Garibabad near Chaklala.

Muhammad Ajmal, a resident of Chaklala, said he came to Chungi No. 22 for shopping but the road closure forced him to use an alternate route, which was 10 kilometres longer.

A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority said that flight operations at the Islamabad airport would resume as normal on Monday, June 23. But only passengers with valid tickets and passports would be allowed to enter the airport, he said.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2014