RAWALPINDI: As the efforts of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government continue to defuse the ongoing political crisis in the capital city, people faced severe traffic problems as a result of the multitude of containers strategically placed around the city to stem the flow of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers from entering the capital.

The problem has not only affected the common man, but also top government functionaries. A provincial minister of Balochistan was brought to Islamabad on a special place of Mr Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday, while the governor Punjab who had been in the capital city since Wednesday, left for Lahore via motorway on Thursday evening.

Besides this, the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and an anti-terrorism court judge remained stuck in long queues of vehicles, due to the closure of T-Chowk in Sihala area.

AJK prime minister among those held up by gridlock

AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majid was returning from Islamabad, after spending a busy day in the federal capital, when his convoy got stuck in traffic at T-Chowk after midnight, on Wednesday.

“The PM’s convoy remained stuck in the traffic jam for more than an hour, however, the police made efforts and paved a way for the prime minister after midnight,” said a senior police officer.

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, who had arrived in Islamabad along with Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif on a special plane on Wednesday to attend a session with the Army Chief General Raheel Sharif in Rawalpindi, had to go back to Lahore via motorway on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, a large number of commuters, including university students, have to cover the distances in almost twice the usual time.

“It took me more than two hours to cover 45 kilometres to reach Rawat from University of Engineer and Technology Taxila because of the road blocks. Our bus was diverted to the motorway, which waster more time,” Muhammad Bilal, a university student, told Dawn, “Our university management could not afford any damage to any bus or the loss of students’ time.”An eighteen seat wagon, which was transporting PTI workers, was stopped at a police check post in Attock.

The police had established pickets on Thursday again, which partially blocked the twin cities’ entry points with containers at T-Chowk Rawal, Mandra Toll Plaza, Margalla, Soan Bridge, Tarnol and Bhara Kahu.

The link roads were also blocked with barbed wires and heavy police deployment to stop the supporters of the opposition parties from crowding the streets of Islamabad. However, the commuters were allowed to continue their journey after identification.

Thousands of policemen had been deployed in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to maintain the law and order, during the protests by the opposition. A large number of motorcycles were impounded by the police in the city and its outskirts, apparently to prevent them from crowding Islamabad’s roads.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2014