LAHORE: Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Bilal Siddique Kamyana suspended 12 traffic wardens, including two inspectors, on Monday following severe traffic congestion near Raiwind’s Adda Plot. The suspension comes in the wake of growing criticism of traffic mismanagement in Lahore.

The decision, termed unprecedented, was taken after the CCPO himself, along with several senior judges of the Lahore High Court, was stuck in a massive traffic jam while attending a wedding ceremony. This marks the first instance of such direct intervention by the Lahore police chief, who issued suspension orders for multiple officers at once.

An official said the CCPO acted promptly upon witnessing the chaos, which caused significant inconvenience to senior judges and other motorists. The suspended wardens, however, shifted the blame onto lawyers attending the wedding in large numbers. They alleged that many lawyers parked their vehicles haphazardly, blocking the road, and used abusive language when asked to move their cars to the designated parking lot.

Earlier to this, senior politician of the PML-N Senator Pervaz Rashid had also faced an awkward position when his vehicle got stuck in the hours-long traffic blockage in Lahore a couple of months back. He brought the matter to the notice of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, raising question mark over the inability of the traffic police high ups and declaring the traffic congestion one of the leading factors.

Action taken after LHC judges, CCPO get stuck in traffic jam; wardens shift blame to lawyers’ vehicles blocking road

According to officials, traffic mismanagement has become a persistent problem in Lahore. The problem stems from a focus on revenue generation as wardens are given task under various campaigns. Many key intersections and roundabouts remain frequently congested, contributing to mental stress among commuters.

The chief minister has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction over the worsening traffic situation, calling for improvements, but the situation has continued to deteriorate.

The Raiwind traffic fiasco further highlighted the city’s ongoing traffic woes. Reports revealed that several wardens were allegedly absent from duty and instead at a nearby hotel, leaving motorists stranded. This discovery embarrassed the department, especially as senior judges were among those affected.

On Monday, the CCPO summoned the SP traffic and the wardens involved to his office for questioning. During the inquiry, the CCPO rejected their justifications as inadequate and admonished them for neglecting their duties. Following the inquiry, he suspended all 12 officers and referred the matter to the Internal Accountability Branch for further departmental action.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2024