KARACHI, Feb 12: President General Pervez Musharraf arrived here on Thursday afternoon on an unannounced visit amid usual tight security. During his stay in the city, sources said
, the president would review the law and order situation in the province and the progress made on the Rs29 million development package for Karachi.
The president may also discuss the relationship between provincial and district governments and its impact on development projects. On Friday evening, he is scheduled to open a music conference at the Governor's House. The security arrangements caused a serious traffic jam and commuters faced inconvenience when security officials restricted their movement on and along Sharea Faisal.
A senior police officials said: "We have closed the artery for a VVIP movement." He declined to divulge any further information. Local administration had restricted traffic movement on and along Sharea Faisal and ordered all petrol pumps along the route closed.
Shopkeepers were also asked to close their business in the evening and no one was allowed to stay on Sharea Faisal. People were stranded on either side of Sharea Faisal as they were not allowed to cross the road.
Those who had parked their vehicles on service roads also faced problems, as police lifted their vehicles from service lanes and dropped them at some distance in lanes and bylanes.
Besides, police, Rangers and military police were also deployed on either sides of Sharea Faisal and atop buildings. There were reports that some ambulances were not allowed to use Sharea Faisal.
An official of the Edhi Foundation said: "We have received a complaint from Quaidabad, where Noor Mohammad called the ambulance in distress for his relative who had suffered a heart attack." But, the ambulance was not allowed to travel on Sharea Faisal due to security reasons.
Similarly, Liaquat from Malir-15 also called Edhi's emergency No 115 and demanded ambulance for a heart patient, an official of the Edhi Foundation said. The official said that a patient was to be taken from Civil Hospital to his Landhi residence, but the ambulance carrying the patient had to stop at Lucky Star in Saddar as it was not allowed to use Sharea Faisal.
Witnesses said that flyovers and bridges on Sharea Faisal were inspected thoroughly by bomb disposal squads. After the inspection, heavy contingents of law enforcers were deployed at and around flyovers and bridges.
