Barricades removed from eight roads in Peshawar Cantt
Residents welcome move but apprehensive if it will improve the traffic situation in the city
A tractor is used to tear down a barricade in cantonment area. PHOTO: EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
It may have taken a little more than 48 hours, but police in Peshawar started implementing directions of the apex court to tear down some barriers erected in parts of Peshawar.
Barriers were removed from at least eight places inside the cantonment to help smoothen the flow of traffic. However, barriers placed outside five sensitive installations remained.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Police PR Director Waqar Khan said that following directions from the top court, the SSP Operations had ordered to remove the barriers and demolish several walls blocking roads.
“Inside the cantonment, there are five sites which have not been touched due to their sensitive nature while eight roads have been completely cleared of barriers,” Waqar said, adding that the barriers were causing problems in the movement of the public.
Outside the cantonment area, however, many roads still remain closed, mostly near police stations and police posts.
Last week, Supreme Court Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had directed to remove all check posts and obstacles from the roads of the city.
Heading a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which also comprised Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, the CJP passed the order while hearing an application of senior lawyer Khurshid Khan.
“All the obstacles and hurdles either erected by the military or civilian administration shall be removed within 48 hours of time,” the CJP said. He further ordered that only important check posts should be kept, but not without first seeking permission from the court.
Over 100 security check-posts, barriers removed in K-P on top court's directives
Locals welcome move
Several residents of the cantonment area told The Express Tribune that removing the barricades was a welcome move regardless of the impact it would have.
“All we know is that cantonment was an important link between the University Road and the city centre and that most of the roads inside the cantonment had been closed since 2007 which caused a lot of problems for residents,” said local resident Sajjad Khan as he welcomed the move.
Court ruling on barriers delights public
“But let me see whether roads near the Governor House have also been opened for not,” he added pointing out that the Police Lines road and the Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum road were major thoroughfares for residents of the city, let alone the cantonment areas.
However, Sajjad pointed out that the biggest impediment to free-flowing traffic on the roads of the city was the numerous check posts built where long queues of traffic can be seen when entering the cantonment. These posts, he said, need to be removed as well. Another local, Yasin Khan, said that clearing barriers outside police stations were indeed a good development since they were causing problems to commuters.
“It is really good to see that these barriers have been removed from the police stations and other places,” he said, arguing that all roads in the cantonment should be opened for traffic. Yasin though, noted that unless construction on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is completed and associated roads built, the traffic situation in the city will not improve.
“BRT has closed all roads and opening a few of them would not solve the city’s traffic problems,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2018.
It may have taken a little more than 48 hours, but police in Peshawar started implementing directions of the apex court to tear down some barriers erected in parts of Peshawar.
Barriers were removed from at least eight places inside the cantonment to help smoothen the flow of traffic. However, barriers placed outside five sensitive installations remained.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Police PR Director Waqar Khan said that following directions from the top court, the SSP Operations had ordered to remove the barriers and demolish several walls blocking roads.
“Inside the cantonment, there are five sites which have not been touched due to their sensitive nature while eight roads have been completely cleared of barriers,” Waqar said, adding that the barriers were causing problems in the movement of the public.
Outside the cantonment area, however, many roads still remain closed, mostly near police stations and police posts.
Last week, Supreme Court Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had directed to remove all check posts and obstacles from the roads of the city.
Heading a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which also comprised Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, the CJP passed the order while hearing an application of senior lawyer Khurshid Khan.
“All the obstacles and hurdles either erected by the military or civilian administration shall be removed within 48 hours of time,” the CJP said. He further ordered that only important check posts should be kept, but not without first seeking permission from the court.
Over 100 security check-posts, barriers removed in K-P on top court's directives
Locals welcome move
Several residents of the cantonment area told The Express Tribune that removing the barricades was a welcome move regardless of the impact it would have.
“All we know is that cantonment was an important link between the University Road and the city centre and that most of the roads inside the cantonment had been closed since 2007 which caused a lot of problems for residents,” said local resident Sajjad Khan as he welcomed the move.
Court ruling on barriers delights public
“But let me see whether roads near the Governor House have also been opened for not,” he added pointing out that the Police Lines road and the Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum road were major thoroughfares for residents of the city, let alone the cantonment areas.
However, Sajjad pointed out that the biggest impediment to free-flowing traffic on the roads of the city was the numerous check posts built where long queues of traffic can be seen when entering the cantonment. These posts, he said, need to be removed as well. Another local, Yasin Khan, said that clearing barriers outside police stations were indeed a good development since they were causing problems to commuters.
“It is really good to see that these barriers have been removed from the police stations and other places,” he said, arguing that all roads in the cantonment should be opened for traffic. Yasin though, noted that unless construction on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is completed and associated roads built, the traffic situation in the city will not improve.
“BRT has closed all roads and opening a few of them would not solve the city’s traffic problems,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2018.