A TRAFFIC snarl-up of monstrous proportions occurred in the heart of Karachi’s financial district on Monday because of the blockade of two arterial roads as part of the ‘security measures’. While on this occasion it was in reaction to a protest rally, unfortunately the sudden, arbitrary closure of Aiwan-i-Sadr Rd, on which Governor House is located, and Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Rd, off which Chief Minister House is situated, has become a regular, unwelcome feature of life. Protest rallies can break out randomly, but these and other key roads are inexplicably often kept blocked off under normal circumstances too. When such busy thoroughfares are closed, the traffic mess on connecting roads becomes unmanageable, with the effects rippling further afield. Similarly, the road next to Bilawal House, the president’s Karachi residence, has been encroached upon and blocked off permanently for a long time. This causes needless misery, especially when security measures go into overdrive during the president’s visits. Perhaps the culture of closing off public roads can be traced back to Islamabad’s Constitution Avenue. There was no objection from any of the state institutions located off this thoroughfare when it was declared part of the ‘red zone’ years ago.

While security concerns are valid, they need to be balanced by consideration for the public. If alternative arrangements are not made, the stretch of Dr Ziauddin Rd leading to CM House may well meet the same fate as that of the Bilawal House road. If securing CM House at its current location is a problem, it should be shifted to a less central spot so that the public is not punished every time there is a security threat. The Supreme Court, which has criticised arbitrary road blockades, could also take up the issue afresh.