Organisation and method: Tehreek-i-Insaf workers unhappy with arrangements for rally

LAHORE:

Traffic jams around the Minar-i-Pakistan the venue of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf rally on Sunday created many problems for those hoping to catch a glimpse of Imran Khan.

By 3pm, barbed wires had been placed on Ravi Road to regulate and inspect the rally participants from north and northeast of Lahore. Many of them had to take alternative routes through the Walled City to reach the grounds.

By 6pm, most entrances to the venue were blocked. On account of the commotion, the main entrance to the venue was closed for a while to prevent a stampede.



The parking lot at Guddi Ground had a single entrance and exit.

That, too, was choked by 4pm.

From the parking, a trail led to the rally venue. It was lined with gravel meant for ongoing development work on Greater Iqbal Park some 600 metres from the parking area.

There were two four-feet-wide entrances near Iqbal Park where four walk-through gates had been placed.

Amina Bibi, a resident of Iqbal Town, stopped midway from the parking lot to catch her breath and expressed her dissatisfaction with the arrangements for the rally.

“I don’t know who is responsible for this chaos. May they be blessed with sanity,” she said. She was accompanied by her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.

She said her family had set out around noon to reach the venue but had been stuck in a traffic jam for nearly three hours.

After they finally reached the parking lot, she said, they still had had to walk a long distance.

“I may be old,” she said. “But I am still determined to attend the rally.” Alamzeb, who came with his family from Johar Town, said he had had to carry his children all the way from the parking area to the venue.

“The children got tired. They were being pushed around because there were so many people,” he said. “I wish there was a better way to reach the site.”

He said he did not mind the parking lot being set up away from the venue but he objected to public roads being blocked for pedestrians.

Rana Ammar, a resident of Askari, said his family had taken Gowalmandi-Pani Wala Talab route from The Mall to reach Fort Road. He said they were stopped on their way and misguided by people including policemen and traffic wardens.

Security SP Captain (r) Malik Liaqat said Azadi Bridge had been blocked due to security reasons. He said he was unaware of Ravi Road being blocked as he had not ordered its closure.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2014.