Maryam’s ‘lions’ push capital’s commuters into a corner

Massive traffic jam witnessed on capital’s roads, supporters bussed in left frustrated

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: The arrival of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Maryam, at the Federal Judicial Academy was no less of a show than that of the premier himself with full protocol and scores of supporters lined along the route.

It complemented the massive traffic jam that snarled commuters in other parts of the city and on the highway with queues stretching all the way to Rawalpindi.



At around 11 am, Maryam’s convoy of some 15 luxurious vehicles rolled into the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) in Sector H-8/4, where the JIT has been conducting its interrogations in the Panama Papers case. She was accompanied by her husband Captain (retired) Safdar, brothers Hussain and Hassan Nawaz, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Information State Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, PM’s Adviser Ameer Muqam, PM’s Political Adviser Asif Kirmani and other government officials. In tow were party leaders and scores of supporters who held up party flags, pictures of Maryam and banners inscribed with slogans supporting her.

Around two hours later, a beaming Maryam emerged from the academy to address the media. A little yonder, beyond the strict security, a boisterous crowd of supporters, who had swelled to around 2,000, waited to greet the premier’s daughter as she streamed past them towards the PM House. However, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N workers, including a large number of women activists, were not allowed near the FJA.

This, though, did not go down well with the party workers, who, at times exchanged harsh words with security personnel and officials of the district administration. Some even resorted to chanting slogans against the police and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICTA) officials.

Given that Maryam, who does not hold any government office or is a public office-bearer, was accorded the VVIP protocol and security at public’s expense, raised eyebrows. Politicians including Imran Khan, Sherry Rehman, Firdous Ashiq Awan and several others took to national and social media to express their outrage.



Snarl-ups

Owing to Maryam’s arrival at the FJA, all routes leading to and from the site were sealed for the public. Bridges and roads were shut using containers while barbed wires were erected along the FJA to stop pedestrians from gaining access.

Around 3,000 security personnel from the Rangers and police were deployed to provide security.  Residents of the nearby areas including Sector I-8/3 were not allowed to venture out of their homes till Maryam left the academy. Traffic on roads adjacent to the FJA moved at snail’s pace owing to the road closures and heavy security measures.

Scores of cars and buses carrying PML-N supporters from adjoining areas such as Rawalpindi, also exacerbated the traffic situation on the highways linking the capital including at Faizabad and Islamabad Highway. Commuter Talha Abbasi posted a video on microblogging site Twitter to show the long queues of cars near Faizabad and the honking by cars stuck in the log jam. “Manufactured mess: public at large honking horns to say it,” he said.

A security official, while requesting anonymity, said that any decision to accord VVIP protocol is usually taken at the ‘highest level.’

“We are nobody to take such decisions. We are only told to heighten security measures and implement the instructions.”

Bussed in

PML-N leaders on Wednesday bussed in party supporters in the shape of two rallies from Rawalpindi to express solidarity with Maryam.

A rally organised by Chaudhry Danial Tanveer, son of Senator Chaudhry Tanveer Ahmed, and including 150 people in several cars travelled to the FJA.



It was followed by another, but slightly larger rally, which was organised by former MNA Hanif Abbasi and Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem. Around 200 party supporters first gathered outside the Nawaz Sharif Park on Murree Road in Shamsabad where the PML-N leaders offered them breakfast. Thereafter, they got onto mini buses and headed towards the FJA.

MNA Malik Abrar Ahmed from the cantonment areas of the garrison city also joined the rally at Shamsabad along with a troop of party supporters.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2017.