The Karachi traffic police on Monday issued its traffic plan for the England-Pakistan Twenty20 series, which is set to begin tomorrow at National Stadium.

England are set to play four matches in the port city on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday before moving to Lahore for the final three matches of the seven-match series.

The press release from the police said that no traffic would be allowed from Liaquatabad to Stadium Road via the Hassan Square flyover on matchdays.

Furthermore, it said that general public would also not be allowed to turn left from Expo Centre for Stadium Road.

It added that the commuters will have to take the alternate University Road route, while the route from Stadium Road to Hassan Square flyover will also remain open for the public.

Meanwhile, the press release said heavy traffic would not be allowed on the following routes:

• Sohrab Goth towards Nipa
• Liaquatabad No.10 to Hassan Square
• PP Chowrangi to University Road
• Karsaz to Stadium Road
• Millennium to New Town
• Stadium Road to Hassan Square

In the past, strict security arrangements for cricket matches in Karachi elicited criticism from the public. Civil society members, human rights and labour leaders had condemned the traffic mismanagement in Karachi and cordoning off the residential areas around the National Stadium on the pretext of security during last year’s Test series against South Africa.

They had pointed out that whenever a match or net practice of the national cricket team was held at the stadium, residents of KDA Scheme, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Dalmia Road and Gulistan-i-Jauhar suffered heavily due to traffic jams on main roads and logistic nightmares.