Pitch starts to turn at Rawalpindi (3)
I believe the answer is:
tar
'pitch' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'starts to turn at rawalpindi' is the wordplay.
'starts to' suggests taking the first letters.
The first letters of 'turn at rawalpindi' is 'TAR'.
(Other definitions for tar that I've seen before include "one may need to pay on deck" , "Sailor (colloq.)" , "'Thick, dark, sticky liquid (3)'" , "Old salt, sailor" , "Sticky substance - seaman" .)