Unannounced ‘security measures': Roadblocks, phone suspensions make life difficult

Massive logjam in capital after police block Expressway at Faizabad


Arsalan Altaf March 20, 2017
Massive logjam in capital after police block Expressway at Faizabad. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE

ISLAMABAD: Security measures taken as part of dress rehearsals for Pakistan Day and some ‘VVIP’ movement left hundreds of capital’s residents fuming on Sunday.

First, mobile phone services remained suspended in the capital for several hours on Sunday morning as a security precaution while various contingents of the armed forces carried out rehearsals for Thursday’s Pakistan Day parade at the Shakarparian parade ground.

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The services, which remained blocked from morning till noon, were suspended without informing the public about it in advance. Usually, the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) notifies suspension of cellular services in the capital. However, no such prior announcement  was made for Sunday’s suspension.

Sources told The Express Tribune that cellular service would also be suspended in the capital tomorrow (March 21) when a full dress rehearsal is expected to be held. Cellular services are expected to remain blocked on March 23, Pakistan Day, as well.

When asked, the deputy commissioner’s office said they did not make any announcement in this regard. Curiously, they also conceded a lack of advance knowledge about the suspension of phone services over the coming days.

Meanwhile, police sources confirmed that cellular services are expected to remain blocked on March 21 and March 23 as well.

The suspension, though, received mixed reaction from the public with some terming it necessary for security reasons while others suggested that authorities should look for other ways to maintain law order other than blocking mobile phone signals.

“No mobile signals in Islamabad! They did it last year, same day, to practice for the parade,” wrote Syyab Rahi on microblogging site Twitter. However, most people whom The Express Tribune spoke to said that the authorities should at least make advance announcements if they plan to block cellular signals.

Roadblocks

After the hours-long suspension of mobile phone services, Islamabad Police set up unannounced traffic blocks at Faizabad which created massive traffic jams on Murree Road, IJP Road and in Sector I-8.

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Islamabad Traffic Police officials said that they had blocked the Expressway at Faizabad to facilitate the movement of some ‘VVIP’ personalities and state guests, though they did not elaborate on the identities of these state guests.

However, as a result of the blockages, hundreds of commuters remained stuck in the traffic snarl-ups at Faizabad for over an hour in the afternoon.

Many motorists protested the unannounced roadblocks by the police and for failing to provide alternative routes to get out of
the mess.

“It is unwise to block [the route of] thousands of people for the security of a few and that too without any advance announcement or by providing an alternative route,” said Sikandar, a car driver on Murree Road who had been stuck in the traffic.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2017.

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