Protests leave Lahore traffic in a mess

Journalists protested because policemen had thrashed their colleague on Wednesday

LAHORE: A massive traffic jam was observed on almost all main roads due to various protests staged in the city on Thursday.

Members of Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association (PPLA) protested and also staged a rally in front of the Civil Secretariat, causing a massive traffic jam at the lower mall, session court’s surroundings and on Mall Road.

The surrounding of Civil Secretariat has a lot of important public offices, including IG office, civil courts, district katchery, post-master general office, city district government office, the Election Commission of Pakistan, Commissioner Lahore Division, MAO College, Education University, GC University and Islamia College Civil Lines.

There was a heavy traffic jam at Civil Secretariat Chowk. The commuters leaving or entering the city from Azadi Chowk or Saggian Bridge use lower mall, pass throughthis chowk. A bumper to bumper traffic was observed on the points.

Similarly, members of Paigham Union of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) also took to the streets and staged a protest on Mall Road. They also tried to enter WAPDA house, which caused a traffic mess on Mall Road that is one of the most important main arteries of the city.



Besides these protests, protests by Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) workers, vaccinators, Islami Jamiat Tulaba, All Pakistan Clerk Association and victims of Eden Housing Society scam were also staged at various points of the city. Employees of DGPR also protested in front of Garhi Shau police station on Allama Iqbal Road.

Also, a group of journalists protested outside Mughalpura police station because on Wednesday night a journalist was thrashed by the policemen.

Arshad Perviaz, an engineer by profession, told The Express Tribune that his relatives had come to Lahore visit. “I live in Gulberg and my relatives had to reach my house from the railway station, but they remained stuck in traffic for hours.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2018.