Recently the residents of Gulshan-e-Iqbal in particular and of surrounding localities in general suffered an unending ordeal for the whole week due to an exhibition going on at the Expo Centre.

They blocked all the main roads of the area leaving only narrow streets to take all the load of heavy traffic which was by no means a justified decision.

The result was that commuters from Gulshan, University road, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gharibabad and Stadium road were stuck and reached their work places two-three hours late. Children could not be dropped at schools and parents even could not take a U-turn or take children back home. Flights were missed. Participants of important meetings could not reach to start the meetings. What to talk of the miseries of ailing people who were unable to reach hospitals!

I wonder how the people whose houses are in the no-go areas managed to sleep in their homes. Is there anything like citizen’s right to move freely on the roads for which they pay heavy taxes?

Every day you find to your surprise that your way is blocked by some heavy containers while the police tells you to go back.

If the exhibition was such a sensitive event, what was the idea of arranging it in the heart of heavily congested residential areas with lots of schools and two big private hospitals?

It only shows that nobody cares for the citizens.

RIFFAT I. SIDDIQUI Karachi