Long-March Disrupts Life in Twin Cities, Piling Up Misery on People

Islamabad: The twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad’s residents’ everyday lives have once again come to a grinding halt as a result of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) protracted march, making it difficult for them to go about their daily lives.

The extended march is causing traffic closures at several sites, including the entry and exit ports of the twin cities, which is annoying not only the commuters but also patients, students, and vendors. The residents of twin cities have endured hardships and been snarled in traffic for hours as a result of these stops.

Asifa Ikram, a mother of two children said, “Due to the traffic backup on Murree Road at night when we were taking my son to the panel hospital in Rawalpindi for an emergency, we had great emotional stress.”

She explained that “because my son was having breathing problems, my family and I had to spend three to four hours stuck in traffic. Even though there were two ambulances carrying critically ill patients, the protestors were not willing to let them through.”

Shahid Aslam, another parent said, “The long march has a negative effect on students’ academic performance because educational institutions have once again scheduled holidays that would waste their time and lower their marks.”

He mentioned that due to weak network connections and the lack of electronic devices for all students, it is challenging for different educational institutions and students to abruptly move over to the online style of education.

Arif Mujeeb, a government servant said, “The alternative routes are experiencing lengthy traffic jams and vehicle backups as a result of the closure of major thoroughfares.”

He claimed that due to the chaos caused by the long march, private and online cab services have also increased their prices and commuters are having serious problems.

Different political parties have made it a habit to repeatedly migrate toward the capital city, obstructing major thoroughfares and occupying the city block for an unsure amount of time, making life tough for residents of twin cities.

When expressing his opinions, daily wager Sabir Khan said, “We used to earn our bread and butter on a daily basis.” For the daily bettors, whose families rely heavily on their daily revenues, the disruption of ordinary living creates sorrow and pain.

He stated that because of the dharnas, sit-ins and protracted marches that shut down all business activity, “we are unable to provide for our families’ basic necessities.”