Roads are blocked on security agencies’ directives, traffic police chief tells SHC

Keeping roads opened or closed during VIP or VVIP movements is not at the discretion of the traffic police and any step taken is on the orders of security agencies, the Sindh High Court (SHC) was informed by the city's traffic police chief on Thursday.

DIG Traffic Dr Amir Ahmed Sheikh's comments came during the hearing of a petition filed against the protocol enjoyed by politicians, public functionaries and other high profile personalities during their movement.

Dr Sheikh’s submitted that it was not the traffic police that had closed down roads to ensure security protocol. However, he maintained that keeping in view the prevailing security situation of the country, traffic police in case of VIP, VVIP movements support the security agencies, as and when required by them.

He claimed that the traffic police arranges for alternate routes to facilitate commuters, in case some tragedy hits. He submitted that the traffic police could only support the security agencies in case of such a movement, whereas the traffic officials could not decide whether to open or close roads without their direction.

He mentioned that Karachi was the seventh biggest city of the world and there were 3.8 million vehicles in Karachi, with an annual increase of 900 vehicles per day, but on the contrary there was no urban plan to accommodate such a huge number of vehicle plying on city road.

He said the traffic police was making strenuous efforts to ease the flow of traffic of overcrowding on the roads though there was acute shortage of manpower and other means of communication. The court after taking the comments on record adjourned the hearing.

Petitioners Ansar Burney and Sarim Burney, also heading their respective welfare trusts, requested the SHC to take notice of violation of fundamental human rights of citizens.

The petitioners submitted in the petition that motorcades of public functionaries, including members of parliament, ministers, MPAs, their representatives and leaders of political parties of the country, which is denoted as VIP or VVIP movement/protocol is a common parlance, has become a routine to trample the public sentiments.

They submitted that the VIP protocol has become a menace for the society and its habitants, being over-defensive in approach, excessive in content and obtrusive in nature due to which public convenience routinely suffers.

They mentioned that ambulances carrying patients, get held up in traffic jams, citizens cannot reach airport on time, doors of hospitals are closed down for the public due to the VIP and VVIP movements, thus some patients die at hospital doorsteps or struggle for their lives in ambulances.

They submitted that they were not against provision of security to important personalities and dignitaries in the current law and order situation. However, the people should not be made to suffer due to such VIP movements.

They requested the court to direct the respondents and enforce that roads/routes should not be blocked during any VIP and VVIP movements. A direction for the President’s House, the PM House and provincial government not to infringe or curtail public liberty or violate fundamental rights by closing down service centres like airports, hospitals or suspending normal operations. Secretaries to the president’s house, the PM house, the interior ministry, the provincial home department and chief secretary were cited as respondents in the petition.