Stadium Road sealed for Alvi’s VVIP visit
Police on Wednesday turned roads adjacent to the National Stadium in to no-go area for the security of President Arif Alvi.
Shops and businesses near the National Stadium flyover were shut from 11am to 1pm for the visit of President Alvi to a private hospital.
The abrupt closure of main thoroughfares and businesses without any prior notice created a traffic mess. While the shopkeepers were left fuming over loss of business, commuters were caught in a traffic jam in extreme hot weather.
The worst affected were the patients and their attendants visiting the two major private hospitals on the thoroughfare.
Shopkeepers said that on one hand, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government claims to be against VVIP culture and on the other hand businesses are being closed in the name of protocol of important personalities which is injustice.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 18th, 2022.