Apparently we have been given to believe that the road blocks set up all around the cities in Pakistan are for our safety but it seems really far fetched idea, as I have never heard a single case of a car being stopped at one of these barricades inside the city that contained any harmful material. I am sure the terrorists have a better surveillance system than our police.
The Islamabad-Rawalpindi police and the Army are seen in large numbers at these blockades to prevent the terrorists from sneaking into the cities and cantonments. For the most part, except at the army manned check posts where the soldiers are alert and ready for action, the police are least bothered as to who is passing by, unless it’s a bunch of bearded people in a car or a vehicle hailing from out of city.
These traffic blocks are irritants for the urban dwellers and are just one more, in a very long list, nuisances to make our days long, hard and non productive. Long lines of vehicles can be seen at these check posts, where for one reason or another, cars are stopped and checked. There should be a center lane, where these cars are inspected, rather than the main lane as done in Lahore. The most troublesome spots are near Nascom Hospital Road, Kashmir Highway and the Sabzi Mandi entrance from IJP Road, 9th Avenue entry from Stadium Road and the worst is the check post on Airport Road.
I request the authorities concerned to please have pity on us, we live in a poor country with such high prices for fuel, and the non-availability of CNG, this adds to our woes every day. We would have to search for other ways to catch terrorists.
MAHMOOD L MALIK,
Islamabad, December 11.