ISLAMABAD: It took four hours for Malik Irfan to reach the federal capital from the twin city of Rawalpindi on Monday.

“I had to travel from Satellite Town to Aabpara and wasted almost the same time as I usually spend on reaching Lahore. I tried to use different roads but all were packed with slow-moving vehicles. Though with the constriction of the metro bus track, I usually avoided the Murree Road in Rawalpindi, on Monday I came to know that the road was closed,” he said.

The traffic gridlocks were caused after a number of roads were closed during the visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry and the Central Command (Centcom) commander, General Lloyd Austin, to Islamabad. Both the US officials participated in meetings held in different parts of the city due to which roads leading to the venues were blocked and traffic diverted which resulted in the traffic mess.

Mr Irfan said: “After finding a traffic jam on Sixth Road, I drove into the streets and tried to reach Seventh Avenue but there was also the same situation. I then tried to use the Saidpur Road but could not cross it and once again entered different streets and finally reached I.J. Principal Road only to find it blocked too. As my car was also running out of fuel, I became frustrated,” he said.

“At last, I entered Islamabad and managed to reach Aabpara but it was one of the worst experiences of my life.”

Citizens stuck on roads for hours as many arteries blocked in twin cities

Mr Irfan was not the only commuter who suffered the traffic gridlocks in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Most of the commuters who traveled in different areas of the twin cities faced a similar situation.

Mohammad Bilal, another citizen, said he was coming from Bhara Kahu to Islamabad when he got stuck at Dhokri Chowk as the Kashmir Highway had been closed for traffic. He said he had no other option but to go back. “Though it was important for me to go to Sector G-7, I decided to postpone my visit due to the road blockade.”

He said it was very strange that whenever US officials visited Pakistan, most of the roads in the federal capital and Rawalpindi were closed. However, in the US no one blocked roads even during the visit of our prime minister and the chief of army staff to that country.

“Unfortunately, our rulers give more importance to the US officials than their own people that is why the US officials even do not give importance to our rulers,” he said.

Another citizen, Mohammad Khan, said on Monday most of the roads, including the District Court Chowk to Koral Chowk, Rawal Road, Tipu Road, Expressway, Kashmir Highway and I.J. Principal Road were either closed or faced traffic jams.

A citizen working in a multinational company requesting anonymity said they were informed in the afternoon through SMS that they should inquire about the traffic situation before going anywhere because of security situation and the VIP movements.

“I and other employees preferred not to go anywhere after working hours. We also advised our family members to stay at home,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2015

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