ISLAMABAD, July 24: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday sought detailed reply from Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Deputy Commissioner, Inspector General police Islamabad, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Director General (DG) Passport Islamabad and Director General (DG) Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) directing them to submit their comments at a petition seeking removal of barriers and obstructions from the roads of the city.

The petitioner Abdul Ghaffar Chaudhry, general secretary traders union G-8/1 through his counsel Haroonur Rashid advocate in his petition before the court adopted that some public and private organisations have closed busy roads of the city, creating hindrance in the flow of traffic and causing mental agony to city dwellers, commuters and people coming from other areas of the country.

While citing the various government organisations as respondents, the petitioner adopted before the court that there were two check posts in Blue Area and from D Chowk it is totally closed. Three check posts on Margalla road, one check post at PTV Chowk, while all the surrounding roads of the DG passport office were closed. All the surrounding roads of DG FIA were closed, while the whole road in front of telecom foundation complex is also closed.

There were two check posts on Kashmir Highway and one on Islamabad Club road, while the road in front of Serena Hotel is also closed.

The petitioner adopted before the court that the respondents in the name of security blocked all the busy roads, while no fruitful results of this act has been obtained.

General public has been facing problems at the hands of respondents while the policemen on all the check posts and barriers neither know why they are standing over there nor they have any expert knowledge to trace any out laws.

Petitioner told the court that he wrote a letter to the minister for interior in this regard but it was useless.

The blockade is also causing problems for the government servants in reaching their offices, school and college going children reaching their educational institutions and people coming from other areas to visit the government offices for some particular work.

The petitioner told the court that city authorities without any plausible reasons to create hurdles in the way of general public have done it illegally.

The petitioner has prayed to the court to direct the civic authorities to remove these barriers from the roads.

Opinion

Editorial

Missing links
Updated 27 Apr, 2024

Missing links

As the past decades have shown, the country has not been made more secure by ‘disappearing’ people suspected of wrongdoing.
Freedom to report?
27 Apr, 2024

Freedom to report?

AN accountability court has barred former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife from criticising the establishment...
After Bismah
27 Apr, 2024

After Bismah

BISMAH Maroof’s contribution to Pakistan cricket extends beyond the field. The 32-year old, Pakistan’s...
Business concerns
Updated 26 Apr, 2024

Business concerns

There is no doubt that these issues are impeding a positive business clime, which is required to boost private investment and economic growth.
Musical chairs
26 Apr, 2024

Musical chairs

THE petitioners are quite helpless. Yet again, they are being expected to wait while the bench supposed to hear...
Global arms race
26 Apr, 2024

Global arms race

THE figure is staggering. According to the annual report of Sweden-based think tank Stockholm International Peace...