RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has set a new deadline of December 30, 2025, to shift electricity and telephone cables underground in Commercial Market as part of the ongoing pedestrian street and beautification project.
Last month, the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) began work to convert Commercial Market in Satellite Town into a car-free zone. The plan includes removing encroachments, taking down hanging electricity and telephone wires, and installing new uniform shop signboards. The project cost is Rs300 million.
However, progress has been slow from Iesco, SNGPL, and PTCL, which are responsible for laying underground service wires and relocating gas pipelines in the designated pedestrian area.
Under the project, the stretch of Commercial Market from Chandni Chowk Road to Rehmanabad Road will be converted into a pedestrian-only street. But so far, no proper parking plan has been included. To review the situation, a meeting chaired by Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi was held with officials from all relevant departments.
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A senior RMC official said the minister, who is also the local MNA, directed the utility companies to finish their underground work by December 30, after which RMC will start the beautification phase.
He added that the Punjab government allocated Rs300 million for the work from its annual development funds. Although the beautification was originally planned to finish by June next year, the minister wants it completed by March or April.
The official said traders were unhappy with the slow pace of work, as dug-up roads are keeping customers away from the market. He said that all shop signboards will follow a uniform design, and plaza owners have been instructed to whitewash their buildings according to RMC guidelines.
Meanwhile, the pedestrian street project from Fawara Chowk to Hamilton Road in Raja Bazaar is also facing delays due to slow work on underground electricity and PTCL cables.
Residents across the city are complaining about traffic congestion caused by multiple development projects running at the same time. Traffic jams have become routine, especially during office hours, and civic bodies appear unable to speed up the work.
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Motorist Mohammad Zaheer said the government should complete one project before starting another. “RMC should have finished the Raja Bazaar work first instead of launching both projects together,” he said.
Zafar Malik, a resident of Liaquat Road, said dust and broken roads have become a permanent feature of the area, adding that traffic rush has worsened throughout the garrison city.
Another resident, Fareed Raja from Satellite Town, said vehicles are frequently damaged due to dug-up and uneven roads. “The entire city is in a mess,” he complained.
RMC Municipal Officer Raffaqat Gondal said the corporation will start road construction and beautification in both Commercial Market and Raja Bazaar once the utility companies complete their underground cable work. He confirmed that Minister Hanif Abbasi has fixed December 30 as the final deadline for this task.
“We have completed all preparations for the beautification phase and consulted traders. Shopkeepers will soon replace their signboards according to the approved design,” he added.
Rawalpindi Traders Association President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha said traders in both areas are disturbed due to the prolonged delays and slow work in the two major projects.
