A daily ride of terror

PESHAWAR:

A year on, fear and panic continues to sit deep in the employees of Civil Secretariat Peshawar. After a bomb tore through one of their passenger buses on September 27, 2013, the prospect of using the same means of transportation with the same security loopholes is not a very welcome one.

Memories of that ill-fated September day are still afresh. At least, 19 people were killed and over 40 others were injured. Nevertheless, the Civil Secretariat employees continue to travel at their own risk and peril on the buses.

They have repeatedly urged the provincial government to introduce security measures and devise a system of checks and balances to prevent any untoward incident. But their demands have been largely overlooked.

Official neglect

The absence of security on the buses has triggered a diverse menu of issues. According to an employee at the Planning and Development department at the Civil Secretariat, the secretariat buses are neither checked by the police nor the customs and excise department.

As a result, non-custom paid goods—including clothes and cigarettes—are being illegally transferred to other locations, he added. Abbas Khan, who works in the finance department of the Civil Secretariat, said the security arrangement on the buses is in desperate need of an overhaul.

Travel woes

Shahab Khan, an employee of the Pakistan Disaster Management Association at the Civil Secretariat, takes the bus to Swabi every day. The memory of last year’s incident has cast a dark shadow on his life. According to Shahab, the daily trip brings daily stress.

“There are no proper security arrangements,” he told The Express Tribune.

The secretariat buses travel far and wide to pick and drop employees from various localities. Amid security concerns, the passengers have urged the government to guarantee their safety on these long journeys. “Last year’s incident should be an eye-opener,” Khan said. “The government should have realised the gravity of the situation and beefed up security measures.”

Journey to nowhere

After last year’s bomb attack, the secretariat employees have started taking matters into their own hands. Throughout the journey, they keep asking the bus conductor to remain vigilant and detect any suspicious activity. “Every time the buses pick up passengers along the way, we insist their luggage is checked—regardless of whether we know the passengers or not,” Shahab added.

Employees make it a point to voice their reservations about security measures to the bus conductor. According to Shahab, such concerns are openly discussed so as to persuade the government to change its approach toward the matter.

“A year has passed, but no consistent security measures have been implemented by the police or the government,” Shahab echoed the concern stated by every passenger who spoke to The Express Tribune.

The security threat is not the only cause for concern. According to Jahangir, another Civil Secretariat employee, the buses do not follow a timetable and often leave before time.

“The government should issue an official schedule which clearly specifies details of the secretariat employees who travel on the buses, the time they have to board the buses and their destinations,” he added.

However, Wahidullah, one of the bus drivers, said the timings for departure are flexible and largely depend on whether a considerable number of employees have boarded the bus.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2014.