March, 24 2005	Thursday	13 Safar 1426

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LAHORE, March 23: Complex security measures for the MMA million-man march encumbered people’s life in the city on Wednesday. Motorists and even pedestrians suffered a great deal while heading towards their workplaces and back home. At some places, people were reportedly roughed up by police.

The MMA held the rally near the shrine of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh after its managers were denied permission for The Mall and Mochi Gate. The security cover to the rally forced people to take detours to reach their destinations.

“I and a friend were intercepted at police pickets more than six times on way home by a rickshaw,” said Irfan Nabi, who travelled from the Jail Road to the Ravi Road. A policeman literally kicked our rickshaw driver when he attempted to argue with him near district courts on the Lower Mall. He said they reached home in three hours.

Sohail, another victim, said it seemed that the policemen deployed on various routes to the venue were more than the participants of the rally. “It could have been really a million-man march if policemen were considered participants,” he said scornfully.

However, senior police officials claimed that the deployment was necessary to guard against any mishap and lawlessness because hundreds of participants and dozens of vehicles had arrived from areas outside the city. Traffic flow was disturbed, as policemen kept on diverting it.