Frequent protests and blockade of Islamabad Expressway by local residents have become a headache for the capital police, who are now considering taking the troublemakers to task.

The expressway is an important artery used by thousands of motorists daily. Besides, it is the only track for the movement of VIPs and VVIPs between the federal capital and the airport.

Whenever the expressway is closed even for a short while, the flow of traffic in almost all parts of the twin cities comes to a halt. So the closure of the highway also puts the local police and the administration on their toes.

Police officials say people living on both sides of the expressway block the artery as a protest against different issues such as power outages or a fatal traffic accident.

During a violent protest in 2009 against the disqualification of a political leader from taking part in elections, the capital police and administration lost 15 vehicles as the protesters set them on fire along with an ambulance.

In 2012, the police also lost two armed personnel carriers (APCs), each worth Rs15 million, when protesters torched them on the expressway. Besides, dozens of official and private vehicles were damaged when the protesters threw stones on them.

Last week, two people were killed and three others injured in a traffic accident on the expressway near the Gangal village, which also sparked protest. A Honda driven by the nephew of an army officer hit a pedestrian and then ran over some people waiting for public transport at a bus stop.

Later, family members of the victims and other people blocked the expressway. They held the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the city administration and the police responsible for the accident. The protesters were of the view that despite their repeated demands the civic agency had failed to construct pedestrian bridges over the patch of the expressway from Khana to Koral, resulting in frequent accidents there.

Later, however, the police dispersed the protesters by using teargas and restored traffic.

During the latest protest, the police for the first time dealt with the protesters in an aggressive manner and booked them under the Anti-Terrorism Act and different sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. After getting orders from the government, the police are now trying to take strict action against the participants of any protest on the highway.

The Special Branch along with the Shahzad Town and Koral police has started surveillance of the localities along the expressway to identify the troublemakers, a police officer told Dawn. He said the police had also reopened cases registered against the participants of 169 protests held on the expressway during the last five years.

The data compiled by the police showed that during the last six years protests were held on the expressway against the disqualification of the Sharif brothers, hikes in public transport fares, low gas pressure for domestic consumers, loadshedding and killings in road accidents.

The people from Iqbal Town, Dhoke Kala Khan, New Shakrial, Qayyumabad and Koral always clashed with the police during their protests. “Twelve people have been identified as the troublemakers during the investigation of the 167 cases registered against the protesters. These 12 people always provoked the residents and mobilise them to take to the streets. These 12 people are affiliated with political and religious parties,” he added.

The police authorities have directed that the anti-terrorism act should be added to all the 167 cases registered against the protesters during the last five years for attacking the police and damaging the public property, he said. Besides, all the cases would be expedited by submitting their challans to the courts.

The officials said all those nominated or mentioned as unidentified in the FIRs, daily dairies and case files would be arrested. In this regard, lists are being prepared for a crackdown against the troublemakers.

“The report prepared by the Special Branch stated that these 12 people affiliated with political and religious party were responsible for inciting people to agitation,” the officer added.

It has also been decided that the Khana police picket on the expressway would be fortified with the deployment of five to seven reserves along with the anti-riot units and armed personnel carriers (APC) to stop the residents from holding any protest on the expressway.

At present, the police move to the spot of the protest on the expressway from Faizabad. As a result, the protesters put up a strong resistance and pushed the police back. Sometimes, when the police reinforcement dispersed the protesters, they escaped into the residential areas and come back soon after the departure of the police.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2014