Beware of barbed wires: Caged in their own backyards

Security measures create major hindrance for pedestrians.

RAWALPINDI:

Erected as a safety measure, barbed wire fences all over the city have in fact made residents’ mobility an extremely hazardous affair.

Amid concerns from the city’s residents, the predicament is that there is no particular government office that can redress the issue. All other district administration and police offices, including courts, have razor fences around their buildings for security. The problem arises when these fences protrude into public areas, such as roads and footpaths.

None of the city officials, when asked, were aware about whose responsibility it would be to fix the problem. Executive District Officer (EDO) Planning said EDO Works & Services deals with the issue, but the officer was not available for comment.

According to a Tehsil Municipal Administration official, the city is divided among Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Cantonment Board, TMA, Potohar Town and Rawal Town. And the fact is that every department is independent do as it pleases regarding razor or barbed wire fencing.



Hasan Nisar, a resident of Saidpur Road, was displeased about the absence of law on a public interest issue. “These fences should be removed from places where they edge a public path. It is a very dangerous practice and can result in severe injuries to pedestrians who have to cross them on a daily basis, he said”.

Mujahid Hussain, a trader who has fenced his building, said, “I didn’t seek for permission to put up barbed wire around my building. If somebody gets caught up in the fence it is his fault.”

Reminiscing about the old days when the city was replete with parks and open spaces, Mujtaba Hussain, a resident of Satellite Town, said, “We have spent most of our lives on the streets of Rawalpindi, however, morning walks and evening strolls have now been ruined by the erection of miles of ugly barbed wire fences.”

Acknowledging the need for security, Moharram Ali, a schoolteacher, laments that his kids play “jail, jail” on their way home from school every day while passing through barbed wire on Murree Road near Chandni Chowk.

There have been numerous incidents of residents injuring themselves, especially kids, while walking along barbed wire fences.  “At many places such as the Fauji Foundation tower, barbed wire has been removed from the road dividers to facilitate people in crossing the road,” said Fazal Elahi, a Fauji Foundation employee.

Ali Naqvi, a resident of Ali Nawaz Chohan Chowk, admitted to the need for fencing, but said “Poorly maintained, drooping or corroded barbed wire is not acceptable” as it can lead to serious accidents.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2013.