ISLAMABAD, March 29: Mismanagement on the part of the authorities marred the inaugural ceremony of the 9th South Asian Federation (SAF) games held on Monday.
Most people who came to see the ceremony had to face inconvenience due to traffic jams and improper car parking arrangements. The police failed to manage traffic and long queues of vehicles could be seen around the gymnasium.
They said the authorities closed all the main gates of Liaquat Gymnasium due to security reasons, except for two gates, one for the VVIPs and the other for ordinary spectators. They said they had to walk for long distance to reach their seats.
Many people complained that relatives and friends of officials got passes to witness the ceremony. It has been learnt that various organizers and police personnel were seen selling passes from Rs500 to Rs2,000. The executive and VVIP enclosure passes were being sold for Rs2,000.
A large number of senior police officials, including the inspector general of police, superintendent of traffic police, assistant superintendent of police and station house officers were seen performing VVIP protocol duty.
Army personnel and rangers had also been called to enhance security. Three fire brigade engines remained on stand-by at the venue to handle any mishap. Meanwhile, President Gen Pervez Musharraf arrived at the gymnasium at about 7:45pm. Before his arrival, traffic police lifted all vehicles parked on the president's route to the gymnasium.
Our reporter adds: Over 100 students of Barani Institute of Information Technology (BIIT) have volunteered to perform duties during SAF games in Islamabad.
According to a press release, as many as 80 boys and 35 girls will work in the IT branch and media centre established to manage data, score sheets and reports, and transmit the results worldwide. It said the BIIT was striving to inculcate in the youth a vision of volunteer service for the national cause and image.
