ISLAMABAD: A fatal accident that killed two persons on the Islamabad Expressway on Monday afternoon sparked violent protests that blocked traffic on the busy expressway for several hours.

Relatives of the victims and people living in the area gathered at the spot within minutes after a speeding car fatally hit a pedestrian, and then ploughed into a group waiting for buses, killing one more person and injuring three others, including the driver of the car.

Hundreds of vehicles piled up from Gangal-Sihala up to Faizabad as the protesters burnt tyres and threw stones at passing cars to vent their anger - not so much against careless drivers as against the Capital Development Authority.

“CDA officials promised us six months ago they would erect a pedestrian bridge here but have done nothing so far,” fumed a protester, oblivious to the fact that few pedestrians are seen using the existing bridges on the extremely busy expressway.

Police restored to baton charge and firing tear-gas shells to quell the rioting crowd.

They had to fight the protesters for three hours to restore a semblance of order around 8pm and set the stalled traffic moving.

Sporadic clashes between the protesters and the police, however, continued later.

Police said a high-ranking army officer’s nephew was driving the Honda which hit a pedestrian crossing the expressway near Gangal and then ran over some people waiting by the roadside for a bus, injuring three of them and himself.

The driver was taken to the Combined Military Hospital, and the four injured to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) where doctors pronounced Sufyan, 18, and Aurangzaib, 35, dead.

About 90 people from the victims’ families and neighbourhoods gathered at the scene cursing the CDA, the city administration and the police.

They alleged that traffic accidents were taking place for want of a pedestrian bridge between Khanna and Koral points on the expressway.

Protester Mohammad Akram said the latest tragedy would not have happened if the CDA had kept its promise to build a bridge. “After hitting the man crossing the road at the spot, the driver lost control and ran over other people,” he said.

Another protester, Abdul Karim, wondered, “How long the authorities will sleep over such disasters, and call the results of their neglect ‘will of Allah’?”

Police rushed to the scene as the growing protest caused mayhem and piled up traffic on the expressway. First the police tried to negotiate a peaceful end to the protest but their swelling numbers made the protest more violent.

They again staged the protest and blocked the road.

Gangal resident Khaliq Khan claimed that senior CDA and administration officers had promised to build a pedestrian bridge after a similar accident and agitation some six months ago.

Police went after the reinforced protesters after refused to disperse and started attacking vehicles and burning tyres.

Police reserves and anti-riot unit were called in and the assistant commissioner and a magistrate also reached there.

They ordered the police to use force to subdue the rioters after negotiations with them failed.

Dozens of protesters were taken into custody and locked up in a police station for further legal action.

Sporadic clashes with the agitators were continuing though till night deepened.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2014