Metro Bus Service suspended again

Rawalpindi: The Metro Bus Service (MBS) connecting Rawalpindi and Islamabad has been suspended once again due to a protest demonstration by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Friday.

As a result, residents of the twin cities have been deprived of the Metro Bus Service for five consecutive days. This disruption comes at a time when the people of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are grappling with soaring inflation, attributed to poor governance by the local administration. The current law and order situation has seen district administration price magistrates effectively granting a free hand to looters.

Key roads in the garrison city of Rawalpindi have been blocked following PTI's call for nationwide protests after Friday prayers. The local administration has deployed dozens of containers and trucks to create road blockages.

Significant routes, including Peshawar Road near Cheering Cross and NAL Road adjacent to the Military Hospital, have been barricaded on both sides, leaving only a single lane open for traffic. Major thoroughfares, such as Murree Road from Mareer Chowk to Committee Chowk and from Committee Chowk to Waris Khan, are also obstructed by containers.

The situation has made free movement extremely difficult for common citizens. Police have established zig-zag checkpoints at entry points into Rawalpindi, with additional personnel deployed for security. Roads leading to Murree Road's Mareer Chowk and Liaquat Bagh have been sealed off, while Soan Bridge permits only single-lane traffic.

All Metro Bus Stations are currently under the control of Rawalpindi police, and access is restricted to the public. The bus operations were initially suspended from October 14-16 due to security measures related to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. However, despite the summit's conclusion, the service did not resume on October 17 and remains suspended as of Friday.