Movement restricted: Clifton Block 2 residents warn of sit-ins if govt does not clear roads

Residents’ association held a press conference on Friday to convey grievances.

KARACHI:

If the authorities fail to clear the roads that connect Clifton Block 2 with the rest of the city its residents will launch a sit-in.

The residents gave this warning at a news conference at Karachi Press Club on Friday, where they had gathered to convey their grievances. The representatives of the residents' association said there are three main roads in their area that they cannot access. These include Sharae Firdousi, Sharae Iran and Hatim Alvi Road.

The part of Sharae Firdousi, which starts from Park Towers and goes towards Boat Basin and Bilawal House, has been excavated for the past four months, the association representatives claimed, adding that the area resembles Moen jo Daro. Meanwhile, Khayaban-e-Saadi that leads to Boat Basin is closed most of the times by various groups of protesters.

"Due to the closure of these roads, people seem to be under house-arrest," said Abdul Sami Khan, the association's chairperson. "We have no water as tankers are unable to reach the houses; the children are either stuck at home, or are stuck on the road until late evening due to massive traffic jams," he said, adding that shopkeepers are also winding up their businesses.

Despite being a relatively well-to-do neighbourhood, there are piles of garbage lying on the streets, Khan complained, adding that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation failed to pay attention to their requests. "This is not the way for noble people to protest for their demands but we were forced to do so due to the lazy attitude of the authorities," he added.

Khan also criticised the elected representatives from the area, MNA Dr Arif Alvi and MPA Khurram Sher Zaman, who have failed to cater to such problems. "We voted for them but we have not seen them in the area yet." Both Dr Alvi and Zaman were unavailable for comments.

The residents were also unhappy with the Bilawal House authorities for keeping one side of the main road closed and causing problems for the residents. "Every second day, Mai Kolachi Road is closed and people coming from SITE have to travel extra miles just to reach home," said Khan.

Iqbal Ali Alavi, one of the oldest residents of Clifton Block 2, complained how people have lost access to hospitals and ambulances cannot enter the area. "It is believed that we live in a posh area but, in fact, it is the dirtiest area in the city," he said.

Khan warned the government that the residents will take to the streets if no one resolves this issue. "If all the residents of Block-2 came out on the roads and started protests, no one would be able to baton-charge or remove them," he claimed. "They [authorities] have to open the roads at any cost," he said, adding that they will wait for the government's reaction to this press conference before taking the next step.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2014.