Rawalpindi Markets Shut for US-Iran Talks, Residents Face Hardships

Markets in Rawalpindi remained shut due to the security reasons as US-Iran talks were held in Islamabad. The worst-impacted regions of Rawalpindi were Peshawar Road, Murree Road and areas which shared border with Islamabad, Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported. All shops, including milk shops, tandoors, and grocery shops, remained shut. The main grain market in Raja Bazaar of Rawalpindi also remained shut.

Rawalpindi Traders Association leader Shahid Ghafoor Paracha said that shopkeepers were told to keep their shops shut on Saturday and Sunday as per the district administration's instructions.

Meanwhile, residents faced problems in buying edibles as milk shops and bakeries remained shut. Mohammad Qamar, a resident, said, "I had to get roti from the inner streets of Raja Bazaar as the tandoor was closed."

Mohammad Riaz, a resident, said many vegetable shops were shut in the market and it was difficult to make chapati at home due to low pressure of gas in many parts of the city, Dawn reported.

Sajid Mehmood, a resident, said that shops had been shut for the past two days and it was difficult to buy vegetables and milk.

People also faced problems in commuting as there was a shortage of public transport on the roads. A passenger said, "Taxi cabs and rickshaw drivers are cashing in on the situation and charging higher fares."

The markets remained shut as the authorities asked traders to not open shops due to the security reasons for the negotiations between US and Iran, which failed to produce an agreement.

US Vice President J D Vance said negotiations with Iran failed to produce an agreement after more than 20 hours of talks in Islamabad, warning that Tehran's refusal to accept Washington's terms was "bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the United States of America."

"We have been at it now for 21 hours, and we've had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That's the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement," Vance told reporters at a press conference in the early hours of Sunday morning .

The Vice President said US negotiators had clearly outlined their position but Tehran declined to accept the terms.

"We've made very clear what our red lines are, what things we're willing to accommodate them on, and what things we're not willing to accommodate them on, and we've made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms," he said .

Vance emphasised that the core US objective remained preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability.

"The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon," he said .

He added that Washington was seeking long-term assurances from Tehran, not temporary commitments.

- IANS