Hazaras massacre: Massive traffic gridlock in twin cities as protesters block roads

Angry protesters also beat up motorcyclists, media persons.

ISLAMABAD:

Residents of the twin cities were stuck on Monday in a gridlock on major arteries for hours after protesters staged a sit-on two of the busiest arteries for all kinds of traffic to protest the massacre of Hazara Shias in Quetta.

Thousands of vehicles remained stuck on Benazir Bhutto Road (formerly known as Murree Road) and Islamabad Highway. The logjam caused problems for motorists as well as pedestrians who remained stuck for over three hours.

“I’ve been waiting here for the last three hours; I’m starving as I haven’t had anything to eat,” said Samad, a seventh grader on the greenbelt along Islamabad Highway.

The protesters had also blocked all routes leading to Islamabad airport, however they gave passage to ambulances ferrying patients.

They called for handing over Quetta to the army to protect the life and property of Hazara community.

Long queues of vehicles were also witnessed on all four roads leading to Peshawar Mor. A large number of drivers were forced to opt for Kashmir Highway as an alternative to IJ Principal Road.

Naveed, an annoyed government employee, said. “I Don’t know what is happening but I’m travelling on Kashmir Highway to go to Chur Chowk and it took me more than an hour to get here.”

Police officials diverted traffic manually, but could do little to ease the snarl which stretched for more than a kilometre on either side of Kashmir Highway at Peshawar Mor.

“It has been like this since 11am when the protest started. Truckers are a big obstacle to the free flow of traffic from GT Road through Kashmir Highway,” said Sub-Inspector Shaheen.

Vehicles clogged the arteries leading to Rawalpindi and the motorway after the traffic police diverted traffic to alternative routes.

“Why have they have blocked the Islamabad Highway when they are holding a sit-in on Murree Road?” asked Sultana, a resident of Rawalpindi, who had been waiting in her car since early afternoon. She said it normally took her 35 to 40 minutes to reach home, but she had been stuck in traffic for the past two hours.

The protesters who were carrying sticks turned violent after some motorcyclists tried to pass through the ropes they had tied to block the road. They beat up the motorcyclists and used abusive language against them.

The protesters also stopped the media from covering the scene that led to a scuffle between protesters and media persons.

The protesters beat up media persons from two television channels and broke their cameras, insisting they cover what the protesters wanted.

Later an office-bearer apologised on behalf of the protesters and asked media persons to cover the sit-in.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2013.