KARACHI, Jan 8: Over the past few years, many roads in the city have been closed to public on the pretext of security concerns of foreign missions and government establishments, shifting the traffic load to the roads already under immense pressure. The city has been witnessing the longest closure of the road running between the Marriot Hotel and the US consulate. This artery is virtually regarded as a part of the US consulate now.
The third track of the section of Abdullah Haroon Road that houses the consulate has also been occupied by security agencies which have raised concrete structures along the pavement adjacent to the consulate building to protect the mission.
Initially the pavement was blocked following the June 14, 2002 bombing. Now even pedestrians’ movement around the consulate building has been disallowed. The security personnel posted there divert pedestrians to Ziauddin Ahmed Road who would pass through the Frere Garden if he intends to walk to or come from the Metropole Hotel. Not far away is the Fatima Jinnah Road, linking the Metropole with the Cantonment Railway Station. This road had earlier been sharing a considerable traffic load of parallel arteries and also serving as an alternative route to the station. This vital road has been kept closed for many years now. The US consul general’s residence, Pak-American Cultural Centre, State Bank governor’s official residence and the Frere Garden with the historic Frere Hall all are located on the same stretch of the road.
The Sindh Club which had an entrance gate on Fatima Jinnah Road has now a third gate in front of the Metropole.
Despite closure of this road, terrorists had managed to get through it in May 2004 and detonated two car bombs.
Following the incidents, the Frere Garden became out of bounds for general public, depriving it of a beautiful recreational spot. The security hype also forced discontinuation of the weekly book bazaar that had been organized regularly at the Frere Gardens for quite some time.
Yet another road which connects three major thoroughfares — Fatima Jinnah Road, Daud Pota Road and Raja Ghazanfar Ali Road – and houses the US Consul General’s residence has been blocked for many years.
Due to the closure of Fatima Jinnah Road, where the India House is also located, people coming to the consulate to seek Indian visa would face immense hardship once the issuance of visas resumes.
The British High Commission, located in the old Clifton area called ‘Runnymede Area’, has also erected big concrete blocks along its boundary wall. A road behind Park Towers, which opens towards the British High Commission is also closed for vehicular traffic. Recently, a cellphone company placed its signal tower at a section of the already blocked road.
The British mission has also blocked a road running in front of it and on its other side, it has raised concrete structures along the boundary.
A portion of Bleak House Road has been blocked for vehicular movement in front of the Khana-i-Farhang Iran. Large concrete blocks have been placed at the mouth of the service lane adjacent to the Clifton Bridge. Thus the service road running adjacent the Clifton Bridge has become redundant.
The Iranian consulate, located on Shahrah-i-Iran in old Clifton, has blocked the pavement in front of it by placing concrete barricades. A road adjacent to the consulate has also has been partially blocked in a similar manner.
The security hype left by the Al Qaeda attacks on Saudi targets in the Middle East, prompted erection of concrete walls around the Saudi Consulate in Khayaban-i-Hafiz and Khayaban-i-Shamsheer. Initially, an entire lane of Khayaban-i-Shamsheer was closed for traffic but it was reopened later.
At the moment, the pavement along the Saudi consulate has been blocked with concrete structures and on Kahayban-i-Hafiz, a service road in front of the consulate is blocked for traffic with barricades. Several other foreign missions in the city have fortified their vicinities in a similar manner.
Shahrah-i-Attaturk, between the Sindh Secretariat and Income Tax Building, had been closed for vehicular traffic several years ago following a bomb hoax and rockets attacks on the offices of the provincial government. Huge Iron gates were installed and have been kept closed during the
day time. However, the blockade of the road was challenged in the court of law and the road was opened for the traffic subsequently. Still, the road is out of bounds for the public during night hours as the gates are kept closed by the authorities concerned.
Whenever, the Sindh Assembly is in session, the junction of Court Road and M. R. Kiyani Road is blocked by the law-enforcement agencies which bring in large cargo containers for the purpose.
The use of cargo containers for the security purpose had never been exploited in such a manner in the past.
Whenever there is a security threat in the city, these containers are placed to block roads leading to a place required to be protected.
