Public suffering continues despite departure of SCO leaders as markets, petrol pumps remain closed
Mudassar, a local vegetable vendor in one of the busy markets of Islamabad, Karachi Company, was listening to the SCO summit news on the radio Wednesday not because he was interested in the proceedings of the summit or new agreements signed on the occasion but because he was waiting for the leaders to move out of Pakistan as soon as possible.
Only then police and paramilitary forces would allow him to resume his business. However, he was wrong because even after the summit till late hours, none of the shopkeepers in Islamabad’s markets was allowed to do the business. This was the second consecutive day of lockdown, closure and ban.
People were seen panicking at this ‘new’ and ‘latest’ approach of the security czars of Islamabad who think only by closing businesses and keeping the vehicles off the roads can they ensure security of the VVIP guests in Islamabad.
Ironically, tandoors and bakeries were also ordered to remain closed and those who wanted ‘roti’ for their families or bread and eggs for breakfast had to return empty-handed reminding themselves they figured nowhere in the list of priorities of the rulers.
By 8.00 p.m. in the evening, Wednesday, most of the honourable guests had left Islamabad for their countries, even President AsifZardari and Prime Minister ShehbazShehbaz Sharif headed to Lahore for a sumptuous dinner hosted by former Prime Minister and President of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif but Ashiq a small tandoor wala in a market of G-10/4 was not allowed to sell roti to the residents.
This is something we have not experienced in years, said an agitated old lady wishing not to be named. She requested this scribe to ask the rulers what objective they had achieved by closing down even the small markets located in residential sectors of Islamabad. “Was any one of the visiting Prime Ministers or dignitaries supposed to purchase butter for their kids from these markets,” she asked.
Similarly, a foreign tourist Tonis from Estonia could not catch his PIA flight from Islamabad to Karachi scheduled for 4.45 p.m. as the road leading to the airport was closed with the help of a water tanker. “I had to walk 6-7 km and cross multiple check posts to reach the airport,” said Tonis who had to postpone the flight.
“If the government’s security agencies don’t have the capacity to keep the normal life going during some VIP visit(s), the government should simply avoid assuming the responsibility of a host to big events,” Mughees Ashraf Baig a senior journalist vented his anger on social media. Not only markets were closed, petrol pumps were also directed not to sell petrol which caused inconvenience to the commuters, particularly patients. In order to get the response of the government for such unique solution to security challenges, this reporter tried to call police high-ups but none of them took the call perhaps they were busy in giving escort duty to the VVIP guests quite oblivious of the public sufferings.
