Shimla Pahari: Traffic jams inconvenience commuters, businessmen

LAHORE:

People with offices and businesses located near Shimla Pahari and commuters who have to use the roads around it say that they are inconvenienced almost everyday because of protests held outside the Lahore Press Club.

During January alone there have been 63 protest demonstrations held in front of the Press Club, according to a Special Branch report.

The road was cordoned off 22 times during the month while protesters resorted to burning tyres 11 times, leading to longer delays in clearing the road.

In 2011, 4,001 protests were held in Lahore.

Out of these 1,397 were organised in front of the Press Club, says the same report.

Anwar Tariq, whose office is in the WAPDA House has a daughter who studies at the Queen Mary College. The traffic is a mess on the days there is a protest, he says. “Sometimes my daughter has to wait for hours,” Tariq says.

Aslam Bashir, a travel agent, says the protests are “held at the cost of our business”.

Civil Lines Division Superintendent of Police (Operations) Umar Saeed Malik says that the Lahore High Court had ruled that protests could be held at Attique Stadium, Nasser Bagh and Lahore Press Club.

“The road being blocked is a nuisance but negotiating with the protesters, even though it takes longer, is better than use of force to disperse them,” says Superintendent of Police Malik.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2012.