I suggest that leaders must endeavour not to inconvenience the public for too long a time during their movements
RAWALPINDI: A video has gone viral on the internet wherein, dignified residents of Islamabad are seen protesting against a road blockade during the prime minister’s movement to Air Headquarters in Islamabad. Reportedly, the prime minister’s entourage was forced to change its route because of the protest.
This reminds me of another incident during former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s tenure when an apartment in Askari II, Scheme III, Rawalpindi, was burnt down because of short-circuiting of wires and fire tenders could not arrive in time because the route was blocked by the VIP movement. I had written a letter in a newspaper on that and found out that after that, an order was passed by the former president that traffic be stopped for no more than eight minutes for his entourage. Once I timed the blockade during one of his moves and found out that his orders were implemented in letter and spirit.
I live in Chaklala Cantonment in Rawalpindi, where at least twice a day, we encounter VIP movements of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the chief of army staff, but there are controlled in such a manner that the traffic is not blocked for more than five minutes at one time. I suggest that the president, the prime minister, the governors and the chief ministers of provinces must endeavour not to inconvenience the public for too long a time during their movements.
Talaat Khurshid
Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2014.
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