SWABI: A tragic delay turned fatal for Anwar Begum, a woman from Shereen Kot in Nowshera, who died inside an ambulance after traffic was blocked at the Swabi Interchange.
Family members said she was being rushed to a hospital when the roads were shut amid a political protest, leaving emergency responders trapped in the gridlock.
The protest, critics say, highlights the daily struggles ordinary citizens face when politics collide with public life. “We lost precious time,” said a relative. “A simple journey to the hospital became a death sentence.”
Residents and local workers described widespread disruption: daily wage earners returned home empty-handed, students missed classes, and businesses came to a halt. Patients in need of urgent care were particularly at risk.
Observers say such incidents expose the human cost of political demonstrations, calling on organizers to consider the lives affected by road closures. Many in the community expressed frustration, saying repeated protests now fuel anger and fear rather than public engagement.
Authorities urged protest leaders to adopt peaceful methods that do not endanger lives, warning that public patience is wearing thin.
This tragedy serves as a stark reminder of how political unrest can have immediate and fatal consequences for ordinary people.
