Military police take control in Pindi as traffic jams continue at Kachehri Chowk

Closure of routes due to construction of underpass, flyover causes disruption; ambulances, school vans stuck for hours

The closure of routes due to the construction of the 'state-of-the-art' Kachehri underpass and flyover continued to cause serious disruption of traffic for a second consecutive day in Rawalpindi, with ambulances and school vans stranded in long queues.

After the traffic police proved completely overwhelmed on the first day, the Military Police assumed control of Kachehri Chowk, Jhanda Chowk, the Governor’s Annex, Mall Road and the Old Airport Road area on Tuesday.

The Military Police opened a narrow passage exclusively for motorcyclists, offering some respite. Women and other stranded commuters began opting for bike-hailing services through this corridor, sharply increasing demand.

Negotiations between the District Bar Association and the project administration, however, remain deadlocked. Talks held on Tuesday between the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), the Assistant Commissioner (Cantonment), the Bar president, the Bar secretary and a team of lawyers made no headway.

Lawyers have refused to vacate their chambers and kiosks unless an alternative location is provided in advance. Fresh talks are scheduled for Wednesday, with the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) leading a full administrative team.

As part of Wednesday’s demarcation exercise, final boundary lines will be drawn around all land to be acquired for the project — including lawyers’ chambers, ten Bar-owned kiosks, the 130-year-old mosque, the site earmarked for the new executive block, the petrol pump and the parking area.

Once demarcation is complete, compensation and final decisions regarding alternative plots will be negotiated. Under the revised plan, the historic mosque — previously expected to lose only a portion — will now be completely demolished and relocated to a new site. The Imam’s residence besides the Kachehri Gate is also slated for demolition.

District Bar Association President Sardar Manzar Bashir and Secretary Malik Asad Mahmood said, “We are not opposed to this national project. We simply insist that full compensation and an alternative site be provided beforehand. Once the chambers, kiosks and mosque are rebuilt — or funds are given for their reconstruction — we will vacate immediately, and we will undertake the relocation by ourselves.”

A senior figure has now intervened, raising hopes of an imminent settlement. The Bar had written directly to this VVIP personality detailing the hardships faced by lawyers, seeking immediate action for the matter to be resolved.

Due to delays, caused by the road closures, the District Bar has submitted a written resolution to all judges, requesting that no adverse orders be passed against any accused person on account of late arrival or absence.

Citywide commercial, business and social activities remained paralysed for a second day. Narrow inner-city lanes now resemble main arteries due to diverted traffic, making movement — especially for children — extremely difficult.

Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema said that conditions on Tuesday had improved compared with the first day and expressed hope that disruptions would diminish over the next few days. Meanwhile, traders’ associations have urged that the busiest routes be converted into one-way corridors to ease congestion.