Daily Times

The citizens and commuters of Lahore suffered a lot on Thursday due to the VVIP movement in the metropolis as the major roads and arteries were closed for the general traffic due to the security arrangements.

As per the details, massive traffic mess was seen on the roads of Lahore on Thursday due to the VVIP movement as the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi and the Sri Lankan cricket team were due in the city and the commuters had to pay the price for the VVIP movement. All the major roads of the city including the Jail Road, Mall Road and Canal Road were closed for the traffic due to the VVIP movement that led to severe traffic logjam on the adjacent roads and even in the local neighborhoods and streets. Dr Arif Alvi was due at Alhamra Hall on The Mall for a Kashmir seminar whereas the cricket team of Sri Lanka was due to land at airport from Karachi to play a T20 cricket series in Lahore. The cricket team was supposed to have stay at PC Hotel on the Mall Road and the traffic was closed on the routes from airport to Mall Road.

Nauman Ali, a student stranded at Jail Road, told this scribe that he was going for his class in the academy but unable to get the way for past one hour because the road is completely closed for the general traffic. “It is the peak hour for academy students and for those who were going home from the office work but there is a severe traffic mess here,” he said. He further added that the concerned authorities and the traffic police should ensure smooth arrangements before such VVIP movements to facilitate the citizens. Muhammad Asim, an employee of a private firm who was stranded at the Lawrence Road, said that it is really unfair for the public to close the roads for such a long time only for the VVIP movements. “We are also the equal citizens and we also have the rights but the rulers make fun of our due rights by closing the roads only to have smooth way for them,” he said dejectedly. If we have to revive cricket through such tactics then we don’t need at all the revival, he added.

Meanwhile, DIG Operations Lahore Ishfaq Khan reviewed the security arrangements at old terminal airport, Gaddafi Stadium and the hotels of cricket teams while directing the officials to ensure the foolproof security for the dignitaries. Provincial law minister Raja Basharat also visited the Gaddafi stadium along with the IG Punjab and Chief Secretary to review the security arrangement. He chaired a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Law at Gaddafi Stadium. Provincial Minister for Sports and Tourism Rai Taimur Ahmed Khan, Provincial Minister for Labor Ansar Majid Khan Niazi, Provincial Minister for Population Welfare Hashim Dogar, Chief Secretary Punjab Yousuf Naseem Khokhar, IG Punjab Arif Nawaz Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Home Syed Ali Murtaza, Additional IG Special Branch and other officers were also present. As many as 13,416 police personnel will be deployed for the cricket matches security and 288 CCTV cameras have been installed in Gaddafi Stadium and neighborhood for strict monitoring. FC College, PU University Hostels, LDA Plaza Sun Fort, Jam-e- Shireen Park and Liberty Market have been allotted for the parking of vehicles. After the meeting, Raja Bashart along with the cabinet committee members and officers also visited the stadium and gave further instructions while reviewing security arrangements on the occasion.