PESHAWAR, Feb 26: The traffic signals damaged by mobs in the city during Feb 15 protests against blasphemy have not been repaired, causing inconvenience to motorists.

“The concerned town nazims are required to get the traffic signals repaired,” said a traffic police official. District nazim Ghulam Ali who had earlier reportedly said that traffic signals should be repaired by the traffic police department later agreed it was the responsibility of the district government.

“The district government will repair everything,” Mr Ali told Dawn.

The traffic signals on almost all intersections in the city and cantonment area were smashed by enraged protesters, forcing the concerned police to control the traffic manually. However, a shortage of police personnel has resulted in a mess with vehicles moving without any discipline and causing traffic jams.

No traffic constable performs duty in evenings and on Sundays, says Waseem Khan, a driver.

The rioters had also damaged streetlights in Town-I and pulled out iron grills on the main G.T. Road in Town-I. Hoardings on the G.T Road were pulled down and Chacha Yonus park in the same locality was destroyed, said Town-1 nazim Shaukat Ali.

Estimating the loss, he said: “The grill was worth Rs500,000 and the fencing and display boards of Chacha Yonus Park were worth Rs85,000.’