WNAM REPORT: The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has expressed grave concern over the ongoing road blockades in Sindh, arising from protests linked to the dispute over the proposed canals from the Indus River.In a statement, RCCI President Usman Shaukat highlighted that nearly 800 trucks carrying essential medicines, food supplies, and other critical goods are stranded, along with thousands of people — including patients, children, the elderly, men, and women. He warned that the situation is creating a dire humanitarian emergency, with patients urgently needing medicines and others facing severe shortages of food and water.
RCCI further cautioned that the prolonged blockade has already caused shortages of medicines, fruits and other essential food items across the country and raised fears of an impending fuel crisis. Usman Shaukat urged the federal government to intervene immediately and take concrete steps to resolve the inter-provincial dispute before the situation escalates further.
“Traders are suffering losses worth millions of rupees, while the stranded individuals are enduring unimaginable hardships,” said Usman Shaukat. “If aid is not provided immediately and the roads are not reopened, we risk facing a major human tragedy.”
He emphasized that the people and traders of the twin cities — Rawalpindi and Islamabad — are among those suffering the most due to the dispute between Sindh and Punjab. He noted that lifesaving drugs, essential medicines, and perishable goods such as fruits and vegetables are rotting in stranded trucks, posing the threat of major economic losses not only for Punjab but also for traders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir.
