ISLAMABAD: The citizens of Islamabad on Monday heaved a sigh of relief as the life returned to normal after three day of virtual lock down due to a protest call by a religious party. However the metro bus service remains suspended.
Majority of the roads that were blocked in the twin cities have been reopened including parts of Margalla Road, Jinnah Avenue, and Seventh Avenue, along with Korang Road to Bani Gala, Jinnah Road to Park Road, Garden Avenue to Tulip Banquet Hall, Chand Tara Flyover to Club Road (Murree Road), Fazal-i-Haq Road, Nazimuddin Road, Embassy Road, and Ninth Avenue from IJP to Shaheen Chowk via Margalla Road.
Only Faizabad, the main route connecting Rawalpindi and Islamabad remains closed, as heavy containers continue to block access points.
Motorway traffic is flowing smoothly, with M-1 (Peshawar), M-2 (Lahore), M-3 (Lahore–Abdul Hakeem), and M-4 (Pindi Bhattian–Multan) routes open and operating normally.
Crucially, the vital mobile internet services, which were either slow or completely failed during the crisis, have largely been restored, ending the crippling communication breakdown.
The protest call inflicted severe damage on the public, daily wage earners suffered a total loss of livelihood, and citizens were physically restricted.
METRO BUS SERVICE REMAINS SUSPENDED
The Metro Bus Service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad remains suspended for the fourth consecutive day.
Operations were halted on October 9 at 5:00 p.m., following security concerns in the twin cities.
Despite the reopening of offices, educational institutions, and businesses, the continued suspension has caused serious inconvenience for daily commuters.
According to the Metro Bus Authority, no directives have been received so far to resume the service. Officials said the service will be restored immediately once clearance is granted by the authorities.
