PTI rally: Closure of roads causes hardship to citizens

All markets and commercial areas on the route remained closedon Saturday

LAHORE: Closure of roads leading to the route of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Ehtesab Rally (accountability rally) on Saturday caused a traffic mess in the city and great inconvenience to many commuters.

In compliance with government’s directives, police and the district administration had blocked roads connecting various areas to the route of the rally by placing dozens of shipping containers. Traffic police deployed more than 1,400 wardens to ensure smooth flow of traffic, but the pressure on alternative routes proved too much.

Police had blocked Shahdara Chowk by placing containers and diverted the traffic to Begum Kot. Commuters were advised to use the motorway (M-2) to enter the city. The Mall was closed for all types of traffic from GPO Chowk to Governor’s House. As a result, traffic pressure increased on Queen’s Road, Temple Road, Lawrence Road, Fane Road, Cooper Road and Davis Road.

All markets and commercial areas on the route of the rally remained closed because the city police did not allow traders to open their shops.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Muhammad Usman, a trader from Beadon Road Electric Goods Market, said the market union had issued a circular about closure on Friday. He said, “The government has closed all roads leading to The Mall using containers and barbed wire. I covered a 15-minute distance in more than an hour today to reach my shop because of the diversions.”

Shopkeeper Kashif criticised both the government and the Opposition for “making people’s life miserable”. He said it seemed that everyone was free to stage a protest on The Mall despite a ban. He said that political protests on The Mall had been causing heavy losses to traders, but the government had failed to address this issue.

Amidst closure of roads, long queues of vehicles were seen at several places in the city. People were also seen exchanging harsh words with traffic wardens for not allowing them to head towards The Mall.

Trader Salman said The Mall had been the hub of commercial activity but it had become an ‘agitation street’ because of local administration’s apathy. He said there were only a few days in a month when traders could do business on The Mall without disruption.

Police also got several banks to close their ATMs on The Mall. Parking lots on both sides of The Mall were also vacated ahead of the rally.

The Punjab Metro Bus Authority partially suspended the Lahore Metro Bus service. The bus operation remained suspended from Shahdara to MAO College. Ali Khan, a student at the MAO College bus station, said he had to wait for the bus “for hours”.

The Saturday’s rally was part of PTI and some other political parties’ anti-corruption campaign. The parties have been pressing the government to set up a judicial commission to investigate Panama Papers’ reports about offshore companies owned by Pakistanis, especially members of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family, in accordance with terms of reference spelled out by them.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2016.