KARACHI, Aug 5: Traffic jams were witnessed at Nazimabad roundabout and Lasbella intersection, as the traffic police closed Nawab Siddique Ali Khan Road in Gulbahar on Tuesday.

The police said that the road was closed due to the encroachment removal operation by the Karachi Building Control Authority on the main road. The KBCA razed encroachments in front of sanitary shops in the area.

“We have closed the road to avoid any untoward incident. The people may pelt the moving vehicles with stones in protest against the removal of encroachment,” a police official said.

However, the shopkeepers closed their shops in protest against the encroachment removal operation by the KBCA, which was assisted by the district and traffic police.

The closure of the road led to traffic jams at Nazimabad roundabout and Lasbella intersection. The traffic was diverted from Nazimabad roundabout either to Liaquatabad or Bara Board in Pak Colony.

The traffic coming from Lasbella was also diverted to Teen Hatti or to Garden on Nishter Road. The traffic diversion resulted in traffic mess up at both the ends. A large number of motorcycles, cars and public transport got stuck in the deluge of traffic.

The traffic on Jehangir Road was already moving at snail’s pace due to dilapidated condition of the road. The condition had further deteriorated after heavy rains and due to the accumulation of overflowing sewage water, which has not been drained out so far.

The patch of Nishter Road from Teen Hatti to Jail Chowrangi was also closed for vehicular traffic, as it has developed many potholes after rains.

The Teen Hatti intersection and its approaching roads were badly crowded during the peak hours. The traffic police also disappeared leaving the trapped motorists in the deluge of traffic stranded.

It has also been noticed that the traffic police have failed to stop double-parking on Zaibunnisa Street, which caused obstruction in traffic flow on one of the busiest commercial arteries. The traffic police officials are seen standing at different points, but they often do not bother to refrain drivers from parking their vehicles in ‘no-parking zone’.