I FULLY endorse Dr Iffat Zafar’s views (Oct 5) in her letter “Rallies and people’s misery”. My office is located at an even worse place, i.e., very close to the Tibet Centre on M.A. Jinnah Road where the so-called ‘peaceful’ political, religious, nationalist leaders carry out their speech on the overhead pedestrian bridge.

The builder, when he made it, must have never thought that this strong steel structure could be one day more of a use for political heavyweights than bearing the weight of the pedestrians crossing the road.

Our leaders are virtually oblivious to the plight of the fellow countrymen.

Whenever there is news of a rally or some political or religious procession (which these days being carried out almost every fortnight on an average), our area is totally shut, including both sides of the road.

It causes loss of business to us and to the state in the form of time wastage, closure of banks, offices, burning of fuel, etc.

The traffic burns fuel for hours stuck in the streets parallel to M.A. Jinnah Road, including Saddar, and sometimes this traffic jam is there from Merewether Tower to the Quaid’s mausoleum in the parallel streets of M.A. Jinnah Road.

I have even got stuck in my office several times till late night due to this reason.

My daughter recently got admission to the IBA city campus which is just behind the famous Nishat Cinema, which was recently burnt by miscreants. But I did not let her study in this campus as I feared for her safety.

I strongly suggest to all concerned not to allow any rally or procession in the city area and instead ask all political, religious and other organisations to carry out such activity in the outskirts of the city.

They should not show their ‘street power’ by blocking the streets and important roads of Karachi.

M. ASIF Karachi