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Hooligans choke Lahore

By Nauman Tasleem

LAHORE: People are weary of coming to Lahore after dozens of vehicles were set ablaze in Tuesday’s violence and mobs blocked roads entering and exiting Lahore on Wednesday.

“Our relatives have been calling to tell us the situation is tense and it may not be safe for us to go to Lahore,” said a textile-company quality manager from Pindi Bhattian. “My friend told me on the telephone that it would be hard for me to enter Lahore because protestors had blocked all roads entering the city and the Canal Road has been closed after a man died in a Punjab University riot,” said Ali Imran, who came from via the motorway with two colleagues to a meeting at his company’s head office in Garden Town. “I had earlier decided not to come, but I took the risk because the meeting was important.” He said there was a traffic jam at Ravi Bridge and he entered via Thokar Niaz Baig. “The Canal Road was jammed and traffic was being diverted towards Johar Town because the Canal Bridge had been closed. It took us an hour and a half to reach Garden Town.”

“I was wondering what would happen if my car was set on fire,” said Sajid, who came from Sialkot. He said he was worried after seeing the violence videos on television.

“I had to go to Gujranwala for my relative’s funeral, and it took me three hours of get out of Lahore,” said Qadeer, a Township resident.

Canal Road, The Mall, Ferozpur Road, Jail Road, Lytton Road, Jail Road, Multan Road and Wahdat Road, and several roads in Garden Town, Model Town, Johar Town and Samanabad were blocked at different times.

Fahad, a National College of Arts student, said he decided to take Lytton Road instead of The Mall, but it was also jammed. “The 15-minute journey took me an hour and a half.”

“Driving in Lahore was always hard, but it has become even harder with all the main roads blocked,” said Tariq. College students, especially girls, found it hard to get public transport. “I came to college by van, but I cannot find one to go back home,” said Sana.

Most bus and van owners were afraid to bring their vehicles on road. “I cannot take the risk!” said Asghar Jutt, a wagon owner. “Who will pay if they burn my van? The government is not compensating the people who lost their vehicles and property worth millions of rupees.”

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