KARACHI: A Pakistani traders’ association has urged authorities to reopen blocked roads and restore mobile Internet in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, warning that security shutdowns linked to a religious march were causing severe financial losses and disrupting daily life in Pakistan’s twin cities.
Police have sealed key highways and entry points into the capital since supporters of the hard-line Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party began marching from Lahore toward Islamabad this week, vowing to stage a sit-in outside the US embassy to express solidarity with Palestinians and against US policy in Gaza.
Officials said nearly 100 policemen have been injured in clashes with TLP supporters along the route. The group, which is known for confrontational street politics and mass mobilization, claimed 11 of its members were killed, a figure not confirmed by authorities or rescue officials.
Kashif Chaudhry, president of the Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajran Pakistan, said late Saturday that the blockades and Internet suspension were crippling trade.
“Residents of the twin cities have been confined to their homes for two days,” he said in a statement. “There is a fear of shortage of essential commodities in the twin cities due to the closure of roads.”
He added that daily wage laborers had been left unemployed while traders faced mounting losses because trucks loaded with goods were stuck in transit.
“Goods worth crores of rupees are being spoiled in containers of vegetables, fruits and food items,” Chaudhry said, calling on authorities to reopen routes and restore communications.
Local media reported that TLP marchers reached the town of Muridke on Saturday afternoon and continued efforts to move toward the capital despite heavy roadblocks.
Punjab Police said nearly 100 officers had been “brutally assaulted and injured” in attacks by TLP supporters.
“Police vehicles worth millions of rupees have also been damaged, while other government offices and vehicles were attacked, causing losses to the national exchequer,” the force said in a statement on social media.
The police statement criticized the timing of the protest, noting that a Gaza ceasefire had already been reached.
“When Muslims in Gaza are celebrating peace and thanking God, who are the TLP supporters in Pakistan representing by wreaking havoc here?” it said.
According to an AFP report, TLP leaders said the march was initially called to oppose the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which Pakistan has supported, but was now focused solely on showing solidarity with Palestinians.
“We have no demands apart from showing solidarity with the people of Gaza,” senior TLP member Allama Muhammad Irfan told AFP. “We have no idea when we will reach Islamabad, but the government is being brutal with us. We are not negotiating with the government at all.”
Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry said authorities would not allow the group to enter the capital.
“There is no room for any radical activity in Islamabad,” he told reporters. “Why is an agreement that is acceptable to Hamas and Palestine not acceptable to you?”
The TLP, founded in 2015, has staged several large-scale protests and sit-ins since its rise to prominence over anti-blasphemy campaigns. Its demonstrations have often turned violent, leading to clashes with police and prolonged blockades of major highways connecting Islamabad to other cities.
