ISLAMABAD: The capital police on Saturday started removing checkpoints and roadblocks from residential areas in line with the directives of the Supreme Court.

The apex court issued the directions while hearing a suo motu case on Wednesday.

The Central Police Office on Friday submitted a list of checkpoints and barricades to the apex court which directed the police to remove them immediately, officials in the police said.

“However, barriers and checkposts considered necessary from security point of view still exist, especially in the Red Zone,” they said.

The police were considering approaching the apex court and get permission to maintain them.

There are 216 roadblocks and barricades in different parts of the city. On the directions of the court, the police have started removing the hurdles halfheartedly as they considered it a deterrent against terrorists, the officials added.

A few years ago, some parliamentary committees on interior and the apex court had taken up the issue but the then IGP Bani Amin Khan informed them that the pickets had been erected for security purposes.

The former IGP told the committees that the hurdles would be removed if they issued directions.

The officials said Margalla police removed 30 roadblocks and barriers and demolished a security wall built outside the residence of former prime minster Raja Pervez Ashraf in Sector F-8. Hours later, however, the wall was again being reconstructed. The residents brought the matter to the notice of the police. However, the police officials remained silent.

Likewise, Industrial Area and Sabzi Mandi police removed all blockades from the residential areas while Secretariat police removed 14 blockades from the roads.

Streets of Sector I-8 were blockaded to check crime, including robbers and auto-thieves, in the area. Kohsar police removed six barricades while Aabpara police 36 hurdles.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2015

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