LAHORE: The government continued with lockdown of the city at all entry/exit points on Sunday in an effort to stop the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers to enter the city, leaving the people in a state of constant depression.

The situation caused a great deal of inconvenience to the public as the officials even disallowed entry of ambulances and wedding processions into the city. According to reports, five wedding processions returned after being denied entry to Lahore at the Ravi bridge.

Similarly, various ambulances carrying patients also failed to reach the teaching hospitals. The heirs of patients, including an elderly woman, were witnessed as expressing anger over the hostile attitude of the rulers.

`If anything happens to my ailing son, I will seek justice from Allah on the Day of Judgment,` the woman said while seeking entry to Lahore for treatment of her son after being referred to Lahore from a Sialkot hospital. The situation at the entire entry/exit points, mainly near Shahdara, remained so pathetic that even the pedestrians were denied entry into the city. Many people, including the elderly, succeeded in entering the city after crawling under the containers.

Criticising the government and police, they said they had never seen such a situation even during the 1965 and 1971 wars and various dictatorial regimes. They asked why the government was punishing them instead of Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan.

On the other hand, the closure of Lahore caused a severe shortage of eatables after the officials denied entry of trucks and mini trucks/loaders carrying essential items to the city. A number of shops, mainly in Model Town, Faisal Town, Garden Town, Johar Town and Township had reportedly received no supplies since Saturday. There were reports of disconnecting water supply to M and N blocks of Model Town (Extension) by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa). However, Wasa managing director denied thereports, saying the area was being supplied water without interruption through two tube wells.

Since the public at large continues to suffer, the residents of Model Town and adjacent locali-ties were in a state of constant depression.

`I just ask the government why we are being punished. For the last two days, we are being questioned at every checkpost before being al-lowed to enter or exit the locality, Harris Ikram, a resident deplored.

He urged the government not to test the patience of residents.

According to Model Town Cooperative Society PresidentSahibzada Saifur Rehman Khan, the residents were facing problems at entry and exit points. `The main problem is at K-block, which is adjacent to M-block, the area housing offices of Minhajul Quran.

The traffic had been disallowed to move out or enter the area through Model Town Morr. At present, the residents are using the passage of Gulab Devi Hospital at Ferozepur Road,` he explained.

Some fuel stations had started sale of petrol and diesel, giving some relief to the Lahorites whose movement had stopped due to fuel shortage. Various makeshift stalls and shops were also seen selling petrol at Rs150 to 200 per litre. The City District Government of Lahore claimed that the supply of fuel at various petrol stations had been ensured.

`From August 9 to 10, the supply of 5 million litres of petrol has been supplied to all fuel stations keeping in view consumption of 1.8 to 2 million litre petrol per day in the city, claims Lahore DCO retired Captain Muhammad Usman.

Traffic remained thin at all city roads due to blockade, fear among the public and fuel shortage. There was no rush of customers at all eateries and restaurants as the people remained indoors.

The Punjab Metro Bus Authority continued limiting its operation from Gajjumatta to MAO College, denying tickets to those wanting to go to Shahdara or entry to Lahore via Shahdara bus station.

`The situation has forced us to squeeze our operation up to MA College alone from Gajjumatta, the metro bus authority`s GM (Operations) Uzair Shah told Dawn on Sunday.

The blockade of the city for the last two days forced relatives of many residents, who were on a visit, to prolong their stay in the city.

`I had come here two days ago to inquire after my sister. But now I am unable to go back to Faisalabad due to closure of all bus terminals, Riaz, who is on a visit to a family in Johar Town said. Similarly, some relatives of a family in Musatafa Town also failed to return to Sialkot after no transport was available at bus terminals.