KARACHI: Karachi traffic police on Tuesday notified alternative traffic routes for Muharram 8, 9 and 10.

Several key roads will remain closed for mourning processions throughout the city, and traffic from blocked roads will be diverted to the alternative routes.

On Muharram 8, a procession will be taken out at 1.30pm from Nishtar Park, and will end at Hussainian Iranian Imambargah.

The procession will go through Nishtar Park, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto Road, Mehfil-i-Shah-i-Khurasan, M.A. Jinnah Road, Mansfield Street, Preedy Street, again M.A. Jinnah Road, Baba-i-Urdu Road, Crossing of Chand Bibi Road, Nishtar Road, Bara Imam, Altaf Hussain Road (old Napier Road), M.A. Jinnah Road, Boulton Market, Bombay Bazaar, Nawab Mahabat Khanjee Road to Hussainian Iranian Imambargah.

On Muharram 9, a procession will be taken out from Markazi Imambargah Liaquatabad at 9am. It will first go to Martin Road Imambargah and will head to Nishtar Park, where a Majlis will be held. At 12pm the procession will be taken out from Nishtar Park and end at Hussainian Iranian Imambargah, Kharadar.

The procession will go through Nishtar Park, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto Road, Mehfil-i-Shah-i-Khurasan, M.A. Jinnah Road, Mansfield Street, Preedy Street, again M.A. Jinnah Road, Boulton Market, Bombay Bazaar, Kharadar, Nawab Mahabat Khanjee Road to Hussainian Iranian Imambargah. On Muharram 10, a Majlis will be held at Nishtar Park, from where a procession will be taken out on the same route as the day before.

As soon as the processions start from Nishtar Park, vehicular traffic coming from city side will be diverted towards Soldier Bazaar Road from the junction of M.A. Jinnah road and Dr Dawood Pota Road. Traffic coming from Nazimabad will be diverted to Lasbela towards Nishtar Road and onward to Zoological Gardens.

Traffic coming from Liaquatabad will be diverted to Martin Road towards Central Jail. These vehicles shall, however, be permitted to proceed till Central Jail and then proceed via Jamshed Road, Dada Bhoy Noroji Road, Kashmir Road, Shahrah-i-Quaideen, Shahrah-i-Faisal, Lucky Star, Sarwar Shaheed Road, Fawara Chowk, Shaheen Complex, I.I. Chundrigar Road and Tower.

Traffic coming from Stadium Road side will proceed via New M.A. Jinnah Road. These vehicles shall be diverted at Dada Bhoy Noroji Road towards Kashmir Road, Society Light Signal, Shahrah-i-Quaideen to Sharea Faisal. Traffic coming from Superhighway will be diverted from Liaquatabad 10 towards Nazimabad Chowrangi 2 and shall proceed via Habib Bank Chowk, Estate Avenue Road, Shershah Road to Mauripur Road. The same route shall be adopted for return journey.

Traffic approaching from National Highway will proceed via Rashid Minhas Road, Stadium Road, Sir Shah Suleman Road, Hassan Square, Liaquatabad 10, Nazimabad Chowrangi 2, Habib Bank, Estate Avenue Road, Shershah, Mauripur Road. The same route shall be adopted for return journey.

Traffic will not be permitted to proceed towards the route of the procession from the Guru Mandir roundabout. These vehicles shall be diverted onto Bahadur Yar Jang Road and again onto Khan Bahadur Naqi Muhammad Khan Road. No vehicle shall be permitted to proceed along Soldier Bazaar Road from the junction of Khan Bahadur Naqi Muhammad Khan Road and Bahadur Yar Jan Road. Traffic coming towards Mazar-i-Quaid via M.A. Jinnah Road will be diverted towards Bahadur Yar Jang Road.

Traffic approaching Purani Numaish via Shahrah-i-Quaideen — except vehicles arriving for participation in the procession with stickers pasted on their windscreens, to be issued by the office of the traffic police — shall not be allowed to proceed from the roundabout of Society Office Roundabout behind Mazar-i-Quaid.

Traffic going towards Saddar and other areas will not be permitted to proceed towards Empress Market from the junction of Preedy Street and M.A. Jinnah Road, Court Road Chowk and Fresco Chowk as the head of the procession reaches near the crossing of M.A. Jinnah Road and Mansfield Street.

On Muharram 10 all traffic coming from Keamari will be diverted towards Shireen Jinnah Colony via Musan Road and similarly all the traffic coming from West Wharf and Mauripur will not be allowed after ICI Chowk.

On the night of Muharram 9, tazia processions will be taken out throughout the city and for that buses approaching Saddar via Jamshed Road side will not be permitted to come towards Mansfield Street after 10pm and these vehicles will be sent straight onto M.A. Jinnah Road.

Similarly, buses coming towards Saddar via Shahrah-i-Liaquat and Empress Market will be diverted onto Muhammad Bin Qasim Road/M.A. Jinnah Road and all vehicles going to Malir and Sharea Faisal will be diverted onto Court Road, Moulana Wafai Road, A.H. Road, M.W. Road to Sharea Faisal. All buses coming towards Saddar from Korangi will be diverted back from the junction of Mansfield Street, Rafiqui Shaheed Road and Sarwar Shaheed Road (Lucky Star).

Preedy Street, M.A. Jinnah Road, Mansfield Street and Shahrah-i-Iraq will be closed for all vehicles by 8pm or earlier if needed. The residents of the area will be permitted to reach their houses. All buses coming towards Tower from Lea Market and other areas will use the following route: Aga Khan Road, Dalumal Chela Ram Road, Mir Mohammad Baloch Road and Shidi Village Road.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2018