PESHAWAR - Tough security arrangements by the law enforcement agencies for the President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa disrupted the routine life on Monday and the masses, especially patients, faced multiple difficulties.
All the routes leading to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly remained closed ahead of President Asif Ali Zardari visit and his address to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly. The main Khyber Road remained blocked for the citizens and alternative routes of Shami Road near Army Stadium Peshawar had been allotted for common vehicles. Similarly the main Jail Road in front of Provincial Assembly remained blocked from Mallak Saad Flyover to Governor House, Peshawar.
On the one hand, the inner city areas remained closed ahead of Muharram while on the other hand police have blocked some vital routes due to security concerns. Most of the patients came from far flung districts faced a lot of hardships to reach hospital on time and their valuable times wasted in traffic jam.
Four helicopters have been assigned the task for aerial supervision of the security over the Assembly building and in the surrounding areas of Peshawar. The Assembly session was started at 10 am and later adjourned till 2:30 am due to the arrival of President Asif Ali Zardari.
One of the residents of Peshawar city, Shah said that he faced a lot of difficulties while going to his office, as most of the routes remained closed and severe traffic jam made the life of the citizens standstill.
He added that he saw most of the ambulances, which remained jam in due to heavy traffic while those people who were coming to Jail and Police line were not allowed to travel even by foots.
The citizens had suggested that the government should start the session after 3:00 PM as the both the students and patients suffering due to the blockade of different routes during the assembly session.
Meanwhile all routes leading to the Imambargahs, located in the congested population of Peshawar city, were also barred for the commoners. While in Khyber Bazaar and Qissa Khwani Bazaar, police placed barricades and barbered wires to restrict the movement of the commoners.
The procession would be protected by police and FC, while more personnel would be deputed at Imambargahs and mosques.
On 9th and 10th Muharram, jammers would be activated, mobile service would be suspended, and the area would be searched out with a purpose to foil any sabotaging bid.
Meanwhile, District Police Officer, Muhammad Idrees Khan paid a visit to the entrance and exist points of Lakki Marwat on Monday to check security arrangements for 10th of Muharram.
SDPO Lakki Bashar Khan, SHO Ismail Khan and ASI Lakki City Abdul Munim Khan also accompanied him on the occasion. The district police chief also went to the nakabandi points established in and around the routes of mourners’ processions.
He met the personnel of police force deployed there and called upon them to be vigilant and perform their professional obligation with the spirit of maintaining complete peace during Muharram and protecting lives of innocent people.
Mr Idrees issued on spot instructions of subordinate officials to tighten security in the urban locality and ensure checking of suspected people and vehicles entering the limits of Lakki city. He directed that all out resources should be put in place to maintain sustainable peace and religious harmony during the holy month.
“The elements involved in disturbing peace and challenging the writ of law should be dealt with an iron fist”, he added.