Kings of the road

Vehicles carrying VVIPs in Pakistan have an abnormally high quotient for recklessness and the littlest regard for the lives and well-being of other motorists and pedestrians. They exist, it seems, only to show everyone unfortunate enough to cross their path on the country’s highways and roads that they have the right of way all the time and in nearly as many circumstances. They browbeat motorists into clearing the fast lane or, for that matter, any lane they choose to drive along by honking as loud as they can and ordering police guards to point their rifles at motorists that don’t get out of the way quickly enough. Their treatment of traffic policemen and wardens is shameful. It is the warden’s job to smoothen things out for them and not impede them or pull them over. Hell hath no fury seen like a VVIP scorned. And try as we may their impunity will go unchecked and unpunished for as long as the public is willing to suffer indignities at their hands.

Recent video footage showed how a traffic policeman was run over by the double-cabin vehicle of Balochistan Assembly member Dr Majeed Achakzai on Shaheed Fayaz Sunbal Chowk in Quetta. The incident provoked a storm of protests and rightly so — forcing the influential VVIP to admit his role in the sorry affair. There are literally thousands of incidents involving the vehicles of VVIPs — thankfully not all of them result in a fatality but they are humiliating enough for ordinary motorists who are made to feel small and insignificant. As the country continues to be saddled with security concerns, VVIP movements will hinder and redirect traffic to less convenient roads. Health emergencies will remain on hold as it were, stalling ambulance services and leaving patients to their own devices. Since we can’t change gears here, we can expect VVIPs to restrain their drivers and guards and encourage them to treat other motorists with respect and observe traffic regulations as much as they can.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2017.

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