11 July 2004	Sunday	22 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, July 10: People in the city are suffering a lot due to the extra-ordinary security measures being taken by the law-enforcement agencies.

A foreigner, who was visiting the city for the first time, was perplexed to see the heavy deployment of armed police and Rangers as he drove from the airport to his hotel on the Club Road. He asked if there was an emergency situation in the city or if there was a threat of an attack on the country.

"Is there any major law and order problem," this gentleman asked a man standing at the hotel's front office.

As the sitting prime minister and the one 'in-waiting' visited the city on Tuesday night, Sharea Faisal was closed for traffic, besides several other roads, for 'security reasons.'

As the Sindh chief minister hosted a dinner in honour of the visiting dignitaries from Islamabad, on Bagh-i-Jinnah's Baradari, all the restaurants of an adjacent five-star hotel were forced to close. The roads leading to Bagh-i-Jinnah were also closed for traffic, causing inconvenience to motorists and people travelling in public transport, all done in the name of 'security' and in the 'larger interest of the people'.

The prime minister was in the State Guest House, but the road in front of the DIG Operations' office, far away from the guest house, was closed for traffic and even pedestrians were not allowed.

The Artillery Maidan and Women police stations, TPO (Saddar) office, and Citizen-Police Liaison Office, South, are situated at the road linking the M. R. Kiyani and Aiwan-i-Saddar roads, which has been closed at both ends and permanent barriers have been erected there, of course, for 'security reasons.'

The prime minister on Wednesday night went to the headquarters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement through Sharea Faisal. He did not even touch Shahrah-i-Pakistan, but the traffic was halted at Aisha Manzil, which caused jams, resulting in severe hardship to motorists and commuters, many of whom reached their destinations late by several hours. This, too, was done for 'security reasons.'

Besides, different measures are taken by the law-enforcement agencies from time-to-time for 'security reasons.'

For instance, a blast occurred on June 14, 2002 in front of the US consulate in a Suzuki pickup. After the incident, all Suzuki pick-ups were banned from travelling on that portion of the Abdullah Haroon Road. Later, another explosive-laden vehicle was found parked near the US consulate and the vans, pick-ups and motorcycles were banned on the said portion, depriving the people of their right to use the road.

Two car-bomb explosions, one followed by the other, occurred on the heavily-guarded Fatima Jinnah Road near the PACC on May 26, a few yards away from the US consul-general's residence. This time, the vehicles were not the low-priced vans, but Honda City cars, also used by the VIPs. The entry of these models could not be banned as these cars are in large numbers. The road was completely closed for traffic and the people were deprived of another road for 'security reasons.'

The road in front of the Sindh Assembly is always closed when the assembly is in session. Water tankers are parked on either side of the road, and traffic is diverted to other roads for 'security reasons.'

Similarly, iron gates have been installed on either side of Shahrah-i-Kamal Ataturk, where Tughlaq House, New Sindh Secretariat, Income Tax Office, Sindh Ombudsman office, and banks are located. The road is closed after 5pm for vehicular traffic for 'security reasons.'

Since the April 4 attack on the Gulistan-i-Jauhar police station, in which five policemen were killed, all police stations in the city had been placed under special security, barring people from having an access to these police stations after midnight.

The offices of all town police officers, as well as the central police office, have been made inaccessible to people as a considerable number of police guards have been posted to record the personal detail of every person entering these offices. A visitor has to deposit his or her identity card and is not allowed to take mobile phone, or any other electronic device, such as digital diary, etc, inside these offices. These measures have further scared people from approaching these offices.

However, the officials insisted that these steps were necessary for 'security reasons' and in the larger interest of the people.

Meanwhile, whenever a political or religious party announces a public rally in the city, the venue of the rally is blocked from all sides, besides other roads leading to it, that too from a considerable distance from the actual venue, causing massive traffic jams. The snarl-ups in turn trouble motorists and commuters immensely.

The citizens have to suffer extra trouble whenever the president of the country is in the city.