ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s activities on Wednesday inconvenienced residents of sector I-8 when his security protocol sealed off the entrance to a major hospital during a visit by the ex-prime minister.

However, karma had its way with the PML-N chief as he remained stuck in traffic on Murree Road, alongside hundreds of other motorists, due to the traffic congestion caused by the protest at Faizabad.

On Wednesday afternoon, Mr Sharif called on his party MNAs Rajab Ali Khan Baloch and Najaf Abbas Sial, who were undergoing treatment at Shifa International Hospital, located in H-8.

During the former prime minister’s visit, the entrance to the hospital’s emergency wing, located on Service Road South, was completely blocked by security personnel and no one was allowed inside the hospital as long as Mr Sharif was inside.

Public transport and private vehicles were stopped on Pitras Bukhari Road. It is worth noting that this area was not even cordoned off when the Joint Investigation Team – headquartered in the nearby Federal Judicial Academy – would summon high-profile figures, including the former prime minister and his family, for interrogation during proceedings of the Panama Papers case.

Doctors and patients suffered alike and had to cross the security cordon on foot. Mr Baloch, who has been undergoing treatment for cancer, attended Tuesday’s National Assembly session to vote against the bill suggesting that a disqualified person could not become head of a political party. Reportedly, Mr Sharif came to the hospital to thank the MNA for his support.

I-8 resident Naveed Ahmed told Dawn said that even internet services were blocked in the sector while the former prime minister remained there. “We have already been suffering due to our proximity to the Faizabad protest,” he complained.

However, as the former prime minister – who was accompanied by his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif – made their way from the hospital to Benazir Bhutto International Airport, the VVIPs experienced firsthand the inconvenience faced by residents of the twin cities on a daily basis.

As Mr Sharif’s convoy made its way to the airport via Stadium Road and Murree Road, it became ensnared in the traffic mess, first on the Double Road, and then on Murree Road. Traffic police tried their best to clear the way for Mr Sharif’s convoy, blaring sirens and directing traffic to make room for the motorcade in a way that has not been witnessed before.

Eventually, the motorcade reached its destination and both father and daughter flew to Lahore by special aircraft around 4pm.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2017