Seventeen Days Waiting for What Never Came
Urban Bystander
They began removing vehicles from the Expressway on April 10. By April 12 the roads were empty. By April 15 the city had begun to resemble a city under occupation.
Twenty-eight thousand security personnel. Six hundred checkpoints. The Expressway closed. Entry points blocked. Heavy vehicles banned. Public transport stopped. Fifty thousand court cases adjourned.
The city prepared for seventeen days. The event lasted zero.
Constable Tufail stood at the Srinagar Highway checkpoint. A taxi approached. The driver showed his permit: essential supplies. The taxi was empty. “What are you carrying?” “Returning from delivery.” “What did you deliver?” “Medicines.” “Receipt?” The driver did not have one. Essential supplies did not require receipts. But permits required receipts. Receipts were not required. The radio crackled: “Use discretion.” He let him through.
Three vehicles later, a truck arrived carrying melons. “Melons are not essential,” Tufail said. The driver said melons were fruit. Fruit was food. Food was essential. Tufail consulted his orders: deny all non-essential vehicles. He turned the truck back. By evening, the melons would spoil. By morning, F-6 and G-6 markets would report they had run out of fruit.
The roads had been cleared for talks that would not happen. Other occupants followed.
A pack of stray dogs appeared on the Expressway median that afternoon. By the second week, they had established territories. One pack claimed Koral to Faizabad. Another held Zero Point to the Convention Centre. They observed no traffic rules because there was no traffic.
Babloo, Head of Aerial Surveillance, circled above at 9:00 AM. The roads were clear. They were clear because no one was allowed to use them.
He noted: “Koral to Zero Point: Clear. No vehicles. Clearance maintained.” He did not note the dogs. His mandate was vehicular movement.
On April 20, when federal offices were notified to work from home, a troop of monkeys descended from the Margalla Hills. They occupied the Secretariat parking lot. By April 22, they had moved into ministry avenues. By April 23, their movement through empty corridors prompted discussion in certain directorates about engaging them for special assignments. The discussions were filed under “Pending Further Review.”
Nosy Mynah observed a cow occupying the footpath outside the Ministry of Clarifications and Denials. The cow had been there since April 12. On April 19, someone placed a garland. On April 22, the cow remained. The garland did not.
Mirza, at the Ministry of Movement Compliance, received a notification on April 20: all offices would close. He marked it “Requires Clarification” and forwarded it. By 11:00 AM, a clarification arrived: the notification was premature. By 2:00 PM, the clarification was under review. Mirza filed both under “Pending.”
Faizabad Terminal closed at midnight on April 18. One thousand passengers arrived. Gates locked. Buses idle.
The terminal manager logged: “1,000+ travellers/day. Movement: not facilitated.”
Babloo’s 11:00 AM report: “Expressway clear. Red Zone sealed. No civilian movement. Compliance: total.”
On April 25, a different notification arrived. The Iranian Foreign Minister had departed for Muscat, Oman. The US delegation announced on Saturday night that they would not be coming, though exchanges continue.
Seventeen days of lockdown. Zero days of talks.
Mirza marked it “Urgent: Requires Immediate Clarification.” No one responded. By evening, barriers began to be removed.
By April 26, the monkeys were no longer present in the Secretariat premises. No further communication was recorded.
Constable Tufail received new orders at 2:00 PM: “Restore traffic flow.” He moved the barrier aside. Within minutes, trucks that had waited for days entered together.
By 3:00 PM, traffic had stopped entirely. Islamabad Traffic Police issued an advisory: Routes restored. At 3:30: Select routes closed for VIP movement. At 4:15: All routes under review.
Babloo’s evening report: “Expressway: gridlock. Koral to Zero Point: stationary vehicles.” He noted the distinction and marked it “Pending Clarification.”
Constable Tufail watched vehicles inch forward on Srinagar Highway. A driver asked how long. Tufail did not know. Another asked why. “Restoration,” Tufail said.
Babloo’s final report: “Restoration complete. Movement: zero.”
The checkpoints are gone. The gridlock remains. We still have advisories.
The writer can be reached at [email protected]
