On November 13, 2025, residents reported that sewage drains across Rawalpindi including Sharjah Ground Dhoke Khaba, Islamabad National Town, Cha Sultan, Mohallah Mehmood Ali Shah and Dhoke Hakimdad on Rawal Road have become informal garbage dumping sites, creating urgent public health concerns around the Rawalpindi drains.
Zaheer Ahmed Awan, chairman of the Citizen Action Committee, said that despite millions of rupees allocated annually for inner-city drain cleaning, actual work remains limited to paperwork while drains fill with waste. He said WASA officials point to the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company as responsible, and RWMC in turn blames WASA, leaving the cleaning of Rawalpindi drains unresolved and residents to suffer the consequences.
Committee members warned that the accumulating garbage is accelerating the spread of dengue, producing foul odours and increasing the risk of other diseases. Multiple complaints filed with the Chief Minister Complaint Cell and the Prime Minister Citizen Portal have, according to activists, produced no tangible results so far.
Zaheer Ahmed Awan announced that if immediate cleaning of the drains is not initiated, the Citizen Action Committee will organise protests and file a writ petition in the High Court to compel action on Rawalpindi drains. Haji Naseer Bhatti, Waheed Rajab Khan and Nasir Iqbal Awan were present and expressed deep concern over the city’s sanitary conditions.
The committee has called on the Chief Minister Punjab, the Chief Secretary Punjab, the Secretary Local Government and the Commissioner Rawalpindi to take prompt notice and ensure emergency cleaning of all affected drains to protect public health and restore sanitation in the city.
