ISLAMABAD: The blockades of roads have led to a partial shortage of essential food items, including chicken and vegetables, in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and it is feared that the shortage could increase on Wednesday (today) as the PTI continues its protest. The supply of fresh milk, vegetables and chicken from various parts of Punjab has been disturbed for the last many days.

The abrupt and forced closure of markets on Tuesday evening also made the situation difficult for people to buy daily-use items.

`Our supply vehicles reached today after four days from Sargodha and we sold chicl(en at Rs550 per kg and at Rs350 live chicl(en, but for tomorrow we will have no stock as today we decided not to dispatch our vehicles to Sargodha,` said Mohammad Hasnain, who runs a chicken shop at Al-Habib Market of G-7.

He added: `Today, the administration closed down markets in the evening. We are not sure whether markets will remain closed or open on Wednesday,` he said.

Another chicken dealer Khalid Hussain said due to the uncertain political situation, `we decided not to send our vehicles to bring chicken f rom Punjab for We dnes day.

We can`t tal(e risk of sending vehicles amid the protest,he said and added that if the situation did not improve in the coming days, the price of chicken would see a massive increase due to the demand and supply issue.

`Dealers purchase chicken from local markets of Faizabad and some other places, but majority of them bring chicken from far-fiung areas of Punjab including Sargodha, Chowk Azam, Chowk Munda. So when there will be no supply from Punjab, there will be a serious shortage of chicken in Islamabad,` he said.

Like chicken, supply of vegetables is also disturbed as in I-11 Sabzi Mandi several items were short on Tuesday morning. `Today, we faced shortage of several vegetable items like ladyfinger, pumpkin, ridge gourd and bitter melon etc,` said Abid Ali, a vegetable dealer in Sitara Market.

He said that during the last few days, prices of tomatoes had also seen a significant increase.

`Few days ago, tomatoes were available at Rs150 to Rs180 and on Tuesday morning we purchased a crate of 14kg tomatoes for Rs4,200 in Mandi,` he said.

Meanwhile, a dealer in Sabzi Mandi told Dawn that stock of vegetables was running out and there were chances of more shortage on Wednesday. Similarly, the supply of milk from Punjab is also disturbed, creating a partial shortage. Shopkeepers were expecting more shortage of daily-use items on Wednesday (today).

Meanwhile, the forced closure of markets and hotels onTuesday evening put labourers in a difficult situation to find a place for food and tea. `Everything is closed here; we have no idea where to go for dinner,` said Ramzan Khan, a labourer in Sitara Market.

Rawalpindi The closure of all entry and exit points of the garrison city on the third consecutive day on Tuesday led to a shortage of vegetables and other edibles as well as fuel. Shopkeepers cashed in on the situation and overcharged consumers.

Taking notice of the shortage of food items, the district administration decided to open the roads for trucks carrying food items and oil tankers late at night.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema told Dawn that the district administration had directed officials concerned to inspect all bazaars and marl(ets to check the prices. He said if any shopkeeper was found selling food items above the official rates, heavy fines would be imposed on them besides registration of cases.

He said that the administration had decided to allow food and fuel carrying vehicles to enter the city late at night to overcome their shortages. He said the Industries Department had been asked to inspect godowns in the garrison city and ensure if there was enough stock or it was an artificial shortage to cash in on the situation.