Taking them down: Barriers partially removed from Musharraf’s residence

Rangers also visit surrounding areas of Nine Zero to review security situation

KARACHI: The barricades on the road leading to former army chief Pervez Musharraf’s residence were partially taken down by the Rangers late Tuesday night.

As the three-day deadline given by the paramilitary troopers for the removal of barriers across the city expired, the Rangers began their crackdown against the blockades. A large contingent of Rangers along with police officials also reviewed the security situation during their visit to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) headquarters Nine Zero and its surroundings on Wednesday.

“The barricades were not completely removed but the road outside Musharraf’s bungalow, which was earlier completely blocked due to barricades, is now open and [even] trucks can pass through,” said a security official of the former president.



On Wednesday noon, a large contingent of Rangers along with police officials visited Nine Zero and inspected the security situation in the area. According to officials, they visited the party headquarters as MQM office-bearers had written letters to the police and Rangers over security concerns in the locality following the raid at Nine Zero.

“The road was already open for people and vehicular traffic following the raid,” said a Rangers official requesting anonymity. “But after the three-day ultimatum, the blocked streets were also opened. We went there just to review the security situation and did not remove any barriers as all the barricades had already been removed by the party.”

Besides removing hurdles from the residence of former army chief and visiting the MQM headquarters, the Rangers also took down the barriers erected by citizens in Clifton, PECHS, Jahangir Road, North Nazimabad, Landhi and Korangi. “In these areas, almost 60 per cent blockades had already been removed by the residents and we removed the remaining,” said the official.

The officer said that the barriers were being handed over to the civil administrations after removal.

While the crackdown against barriers has taken the common man and Pervez Musharraf in its fold, the decision regarding removal of barriers placed outside the offices of law enforcement agencies and government and sensitive installations has yet to be taken.

Meanwhile, the Sindh home department already requested the Rangers director-general not to remove the barriers in front of Bilawal House.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2015.