RAWALPINDI – A crippling heatwave swept across Rawalpindi on Sunday, halting commercial activity in wholesale markets, trading centres, grain markets, and bazaars, while tourist spots and public parks remained eerily deserted.
From mid-morning until sunset, business slowed to a crawl as temperatures soared between 45°C and 47°C. Shopkeepers, drenched in sweat and seated under fans blowing hot air, waited in vain for customers. The heat kept most residents indoors, with only a trickle of activity occurring after dark.
The Citizen Action Council issued an appeal urging residents to place water and grains in shaded areas of their homes to help birds survive the harsh weather—a charitable gesture regarded as sadaqah jariyah (ongoing charity). Many birds have been found dead as the heat and water scarcity intensify, and underground water levels continue to drop due to the prolonged dry spell.
Loading and unloading work at markets has also come to a near halt, severely affecting daily-wage earners. Post-Eid economic fatigue has further dampened purchasing power, with consumers now preferring to buy smaller quantities from local shops instead of venturing into wholesale markets.
In the face of this relentless weather, citizens have turned to prayer, seeking divine mercy in mosques, imambargahs, churches, and homes—hoping for rainfall to bring relief from the punishing sun.
