Daily Times

LAHORE: Despite tall claims by the Punjab government, police and other concerned departments to provide safe environment and better facilities to the citizens, Lahoris are continuously facing financial and mentally torture due to the daily protests on main and busy city roads.

The provincial capital has witnessed massive traffic blockage for last couple of months on important roads as well as its surrounding areas due to the protests held by doctors, nurses, farmers, clerks, pharmacists, civil society, students, lawyers, political parties, religious parties, minorities and others against the misbehaviour, misguidance and mismanagement of the government and other departments.

According to the police records, at least 550 protests, rallies, sit-ins and other protest activities were held on important city roads on daily basis during first four and half months of the current year. Out of the 550 demonstrations, around 419 protests, 70 rallies, 27 sit-ins and 22 strikes were held in different areas of the city.

A senior police officer said that peaceful protest is the right of everyone but due to consistency of these protests, police are also facing serious problems in performing their duties, which includes maintenance of law and order situation, traffic flow, answering to security threats, emergency duties and VIP protocol.

He said that police also performed its duty near the protest venue to maintain traffic flow but the increasing protests are creating problems for citizens as well as law enforcers. He added that protesters damage the government and private properties during their demonstrations while police tried to protect people and control the situation peacefully. He said that police had also registered several cases against protesters.

Huge traffic jams were witnessed on The Mall, Jail Road, Davis Road, Allama Iqbal Road, Egerton Road, Empress Road, McLeod Road and Abbot Road, which created panic among the commuters.

Citizens said that millions of rupees worth of fuel was being wasted every day, as thousands of vehicles are stuck in traffic jams, which seem to be an ever-increasing problem on the main arteries of the provincial capital. The traffic jam starts at peak hours due to starting and closing hours of educational and other institutions.

In this situation, ambulances carrying emergencies also get stuck in the traffic jam while the road users had to face a lot of troubles for hours to move from one place to another.

On the issue, a victim’s relative, while talking to Daily Times, said that the police should have devised a diversion plan to facilitate the citizens. He strongly criticised the provincial government and traffic wardens who are not performing well and are also not managing these situations immediately as well as those areas where different groups held protests demonstration.