Fearing repeat episode: Law enforcers flex muscles, TLYR launches fresh protests

Massive gridlock in Rawalpindi as protesters block Murree Road at Liaquat Bagh

ISLAMABAD: With events of the three-week-long protest at Faizabad by followers of cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi still fresh in the minds of the capital’s law enforcers, the police and the paramilitary Rangers conducted a flag march in the capital in what was an ostensible show of power.

The show came after Rizvi’s Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasoolallah (TLYR) announced fresh countrywide protests and even blocked multiple thoroughfares in the neighbouring Rawalpindi.

More than 300 police personnel riding motorbikes, patrol cars and vans of drove through the capital on Thursday afternoon. Officials said that cops from all four zonal superintendents of police, sub-divisional police officers, SHOs of all police stations, contingents of Pakistan Rangers, Islamabad Traffic Police, police commandoes, fire-brigade and Rescue 1122 staff, Rescue 15 and police patrolling officials.



The march started at the Pakistan Sports Board and culminated at the same spot after going around the capital.

It passed through Murree Road, Bhara Kahu, Rawal Dam Chowk, Islamabad Expressway, Khana Pul, Koral Chowk, Faizabad, IJP Road, Tarnol, Kashmir Highway and Zero Point.

Police said protesters will not be allowed to block any road in the capital. To assist the police, officials said, contingents of Rangers, Frontier Constabulary, Counter-Terrorism Force personnel were available if required.

Officials added that the objective of the march was to show preparedness by police and other law enforcement agencies to maintain peace in the capital.

SSP-Operations Najeebur Rehman Bugvi said the police were fully prepared to provide citizens with high security. He also directed all the SDPOs and the SHOs to make effective security arrangements in this regard in their respective areas.



Traffic gridlock

While there were no notable roadblocks put in place in the capital on Thursday, it was a completely different story in the twin city of Rawalpindi where the traffic system was severely affected.

An early morning blockage due to a traffic accident involving a trailer loaded with timber tipped over on the Murree Road. After a few hours, traffic officials managed to push the trailer onto the side of the road and creating an opening.

However, no sooner had that situation had been dealt with, protesters aligned with the TLYR started to gather on the Murree Road near Liaquat Bagh and blocked the thoroughfare. They also blocked the Grand Trunk (GT) Road at Taxila. The blockade first affected children who were heading home from school.

And as the blockade stretched into late evening, those returning from offices too got stuck in the gridlock.

The city traffic staff of Rawalpindi also seemed helpless at the situation.

Locals, through self-help, tried to control the traffic flow on nearby main roads but were helpless as motorists opted to travel wrong-way or to take shortcuts off the jammed road on to alternative routes such as Kutcheri Chowk and Rawal Road. However, soon these roads too were clogged with cars.

Due to the prolonged gridlock, commuters could be seen involved in verbal altercations with the traffic police and even with other commuters.

The traffic police wardens, though, seemed helpless to resolve the situation.

TLYR had blocked Faizabad, the main interchange linking the capital with Rawalpindi and the south of the country. The blockade only ended after the government entered into an agreement with Rizvi, acquiescing to five of his demands. Rizvi, though, had later disputed the government’s claims and stated that the government had agreed to several other demands.

The failure of the police to effectively evict a couple thousand protesters from Faizabad had prompted a raft of changes in the Islamabad Police with Dr Azam Temuri replacing Khalid Khattak. Later, the SSP Operations Sajid Kayani was also replaced with Bugvi.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, maligned for mishandling the situation by his predecessor, announced that a dedicated riot police force would be raised which would specialise in crowd control.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM SALEH MUGHAL IN RAWALPINDI 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2018.