Traffic suffers when political zealots take to streets

For a city as turbulent as Karachi, political protests have become a rather quotidian affair. Every other day, groups of politically charged people take to the streets raging and rallying, obstruct the movement of traffic and lead to severe gridlocks across major highways.

This, along with the city’s already anarchic traffic system, severely impacts the lives of Karachi’s 20 million residents who are forced to delay engagements and navigate around these chaotic rallies.

With such protests becoming more frequent, local ambulance service providers have appealed to the government to contain such events and restrict political parties from blocking major highways. In response, the Sindh government has urged political parties to refrain from protesting on the busiest streets; maintaining that a proposal in the regard will also to be reviewed and a strategy for hosting protests will be drafted after needful consultation.

According to senior political journalist Nawab Qureshi, being the country’s financial capital, such demonstrations negatively impact the Karachi’s economy that affects the larger economy of Pakistan. “For instance, if there is protest on Shahrae-Faisal, Hassan Square or on Numaish Chowrangi, then the whole city is jammed. These places are the most important centers of Karachi’s highways, so their blockage takes a toll on local businesses and hampers trade,” he told.

However, the most severe consequence of unchecked political demonstrations on highways, as highlighted by Qureshi, is the toll they can potentially take on ambulance delivery.

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“This can lead to a life or death situation for citizens awaiting medical aid. The government should immediately hold a joint conference with all stakeholders and enact a law or dedicate a venue for such activities to keep them away from the streets,” he added. Speaking in the same vein, Chheepa Foundation spokesperson Chaudhry Shahid Hussain also maintained that while peaceful protest is a constitutional right, it is the government’s duty to make sure that these demonstrations do not put people at risk.

“There should either be a venue, or there should be a specific, unhampered lane for ambulances in such situations,” he opined. On the other hand however, Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Zahid Mansoori believes that is rare that political demonstrations create issues for public. In most cases, the traffic jams are caused by the city’s inadequate traffic and infrastructure system. “Political meetings already happen on designated ground, but how can protests and rallies happen at a venue?” he questioned, adding it is the government’s responsibility to resolve these issues.

Similarly, Pakistan Tehreek E Insaaf (PTI) member Sindh Assembly Jamal Siddiqui, acknowledging that protests can be a source of inconvenience for the public, maintained that it is not everyday that parties take to the streets. “Alternative routes are always decided, whenever there is a big political demonstration,” he commented, adding that if there is ever an official discussion on the matter, his party will be keen to express its views. Per spokespersons for religious parties like Jamaat-e-Islami and Majlis-e-Wahdate-Muslimeen, most political protests and demonstrations that happen on the streets are in public interest and meant to ruffle the government’s feathers.

“On our end, we try as much as we can to not inconvenience the public, but some matters are so severe that you have to take to the streets. It is the government’s responsibility to assure smooth operations and resolve issues but if all political parties decide on a venue in unison, then we too will be part of the talks,” said JUI Karachi spokesperson Zahid Askari.

Addressing the matter Sindh Chief Minister’s Advisor Waqar Mehdi, who is also the general secretary of the ruling Pakistan Peoples’ Party said that the country has a democratic government, which makes protests part and parcel of the democratic process. Security and traffic arrangements are made by the police and district administration for any protest or meeting.

“However, if need be, I would put before the Chief Minister Sindh a proposal for allocating places for protests and if required, all stakeholders would be consulted. In the meanwhile, all political parties should refrain from protesting unnecessarily on any major highway and avoid disturbing the public,” he told The Express Tribune.