Very important interruption: PM’s visit shuts down Peshawar temporarily

Students not allowed to enter Islamia college, baton charged

PESHAWAR:

People of the city had to face a great deal of nuisance as the main roads were blocked on Friday by city police on the arrival of the prime minister. Even though the Prime Minister  Nawaz Sharif arrived in a helicopter to participate in the centenary celebrations of Islamia College University, roads were blocked for hours.

“This is a violation of the country’s laws, blocking the roads used by the public,” Abdul Qayum, a student of University of Peshawar, told The Express Tribune. “Students from different universities wanted to go to home for the weekend but these nonsensical security measures left them with no option.” All major arteries, leading from Bacha Khan International Airport to the University of Peshawar, were shut down on the pretext of security. The gates leading to Islamic college were also closed and even students of the institute and members of the media were not allowed to enter the premises.

Consequently, the students started protesting, yelling, ‘Go Nawaz Go’, bringing back the slogan which was associated with the PTI Dharna in 2014. Some frustrated students even pushed their way through one of the gates of their alma mater. The police reacted by baton charging and sent the students back. Three students were also arrested on the spot.

Blocked routes

Queues of vehicles were stranded on both sides of blocked roads. The forced lack of public transport caused commuters to walk from University Road to General Bus Stand on feet, covering a distance of many kilometres.

Traffic conditions on Ring Road and GT Road were no better, given the cascading effect of the vehicular jam on University Road, a main artery of the city.

As major educational institutes and Khyber Teaching Hospital are on University Road, traffic police personnel had been deployed on the route. A traffic police warden said they have been instructed to clear all routes for “them”. “We are only left with Ring Road as an alternate; the commuters have to suffer.”

State of confusion

Security officials who were present along different points said they were not told whether the prime minister would take the road to get to the college or will reach by air.



Police officials were also frisking commuters on the roads in the name of security and no one was allowed to even stand at the bus stop.

While talking to The Express Tribune, officials of the city district administration refused any role in cordoning off roads.

“I did not issue any instructions to block any road before the PM’s visit to the city,” said Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Riaz Mehsud. “The routes were blocked by high-ups.”

He also refuted reports that the district administration was involved in any dispute with chief of the city police.

SSP Traffic Siddiq Baloch said they were asked by senior security force officials to close the routes.

Police officials said they had to provide security and were directed to take strict security measures. A police official said, “Even the students knew the PM will come in a helicopter…even then roads had been closed to the public – without any prior information or alternate route.” He added the few public vehicles plying the roads were overcharging commuters.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th,  2015.