KARACHI, Sept 17: Organizing exhibitions to promote sales is standard marketing practice the world over, but this should not be at the cost of public convenience.

The 'Ideas-2004' exhibition of military hardware might have been a success from the point of view of the organizers, but for the general public it was a painful experience as it caused a massive dislocation of normal business and social activity, already under strain due to the law and order situation.

In the given situation the government must have valid reasons about its security concerns. But these could be addressed by minimizing the public inconveniences. A stringent security code was enforced that led to many important areas of the city becoming virtually out of bounds for several days.

In the name of security, the VIP culture was in full cry and nobody bothered about the problems students, government and private sector employees, businessmen, shopkeepers and transporters had to face due to the closure of several roads and lack of policing to handle the situation.

Appalling traffic jams built up, which exposed the professional preparedness of the Karachi police and other allied security agencies. Merely drawing up and printing a traffic plan was not good enough.

The real test was in regulating traffic in such a manner that everyone reached his work place or educational institution in time. That did not happen. Traffic lights were often switched off, but the traffic police on duty allowed huge lines to build up and proved their incompetence.

Many shopkeepers complained that they were forced to keep their shutters down during the presence of VIPs at the site of the exhibition which affected their business. They wonder who would compensate them for their losses. Commuters complained of long waits for buses.

If the organizers would care to do a little cost-accounting of man hours lost and the increase in pollution caused by emission of petrol and diesel fumes during traffic jams, they would realize that the site chosen for the Ideas-2004 and the arrangements made for the stay of foreign guests in hotels downtown was not appropriate.

One is baffled by the statement of the defence secretary that the area of the Expo Centre was being enlarged and for that purpose plans had already been firmed up by the EPB.

Perhaps he missed the point. It is not the space available at the Expo Centre that caused the problem. The problem was caused by locating the exhibition at the Centre and by the logistics of lodging and boarding and transportation of guests to and from the venue.

The organizers must think of alternative arrangement so that they don't have to keep roads closed and shutters down for several hours for so many days. A striking feature of the Ideas-2004 was the absence of KRL stall which occupied a prominent place in the 2000 and 2002 exhibitions, though its Baktar Shikan anti-tank missile took part in the fire-power display on Friday. Many other top-line exhibitors were not present.

The main lesson to be learnt is that such exhibitions or events should be planned in a way where they do not alienate or anger the people or the city in which they are held.

There was visible resentment in Karachi among people whose lives were adversely affected by Ideas-2004. The effort, on the other hand, should be to involve the people by being open and making such events fun events with side shows, visits to defence establishments and displays, etc - in which families can taken part.