Traffic chaos disrupts routine life

Transporters claim 1,000 containers have been impounded by government

LAHORE: Scattered protests on Friday by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers against the arrest of their party colleagues across the country paralysed life in Lahore for hours.

The protesters blocked several main roads, including Mall Road, to register their grievances thereby creating massive traffic jams. Vehicles remained stuck on Mall Road for hours as the PTI Lawyers Wing representatives blocked the road in front of the Lahore High Court.

Blockade on The Mall also caused severe traffic congestion on the adjacent roads, including Fane Road, Queens Road, Hall Road, Beadon Road, Copper Road, Lower Mall, Nabha Road and other adjoining areas.



PTI workers also staged protest rallies in front of the Lahore Press Club, Liberty Chowk and Lalik Chowk further aggravating the traffic problems. Angry protesters burnt tyres and shouted slogans against the government, demanding immediate release of the party workers.

A trader, Muhammad Bilal, told The Express Tribune that protests, rallies and sit-ins were becoming a headache for business owners as a bit of unrest cost millions of rupees is losses to the trading community.

Rashid, a commuter stuck in traffic near the Lahore High Court, was of the opinion that the menace of corruption should be eradicated from the country but he did not support the opposition parties’ methods. “I am going to pick my children from school but I do not see a way to reach on time as long queues of vehicle are every road in the areas,” he added.

Containers seized

Goods transporters complained the police and district administration had seizing their container vehicles to restrict the movement of PTI workers.

All Pakistan Goods Transporters Association General Secretary Nabeel Mahmood Tariq said the association had already received dozens of complaints about the seizure of container vehicles. “We are worried about the safety of our vehicles owing to the bad experiences in the past,” he said. “Around 1,000 containers have been seized till now by the government and law enforcing agencies across Punjab.”

Mobs have burnt dozens of containers placed on roads during protests in the past, causing losses worth millions of rupees to the goods transporters.

Nabeel said the association had gone to the court against the highhandedness of the government and law enforcing agencies. “Police are impounding container vehicles without checking whether the container is empty or full.

Most containers seized in Punjab were loaded with export cargo. Any untoward incident can cause losses worth millions of rupees,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2016.