Islamabad ‘to become a city of walls soon’

[Naveed Yaseen]

People say their freedom of movement ‘greatly restricted’

by Myra Imran
As the concerned authorities continue to adopt security measures like blocking main roads or erecting compound walls around public offices and buildings, the locals find their freedom of movement greatly restricted.

Walls are being built around ministries while commonly used roads are shut down without any prior notice forcing motorists to make long detours. “Almost half of Islamabad has become inaccessible to the public,” says Saleem Ahmed, a resident. The recent decision of the Capital Development Authority to build a boundary wall around the Sessions and District Courts in Markaz F-8 in the name of security is yet another step that is bound to create immense problems for the people. Already the residents have begun to voice concern.

These courts are also a fine example of what mess such public offices located in the heart of a commercial district can create. In addition to causing inconvenience to people visiting the market, the haphazardly parked cars and rush affects businesses. Another example is that of the police offices located in the same vicinity.

Shopkeepers say that whenever a top official visits this place, the whole area is cordoned off. “Ample security is provided to the police officers and their offices, but what they completely ignore is the security of the shopkeepers and people living nearby,” said one shopkeeper.

M K Sufi, a member of the Islamabad Citizens’ Committee, believes that public opinion should have been sought on making the wall. “The way the authorities are going, this town will soon become a walled city,” he expressed his thoughts. “First the wall around Diplomatic Enclave, then the plan to build one around the Red Zone, which was fortunately dropped due to public pressure, but it gave way to road checks, street and road blocks,” he added.

He criticised the administration for taking obsolete security measures instead of making use of modern technology and equipment. “Building walls and gates could be part of the security plans of Mughals, but taking such measures in a metropolis like Islamabad will serve no purpose other than multiplying the public’s problems,” he said, adding that this reflected the mindset of people at the helm. Sufi said that in the first place, the courts should not have come up in the middle of a shopping area.

“Secondly, the authorities should utilise surveillance technology to provide security to those whose lives are important,” he said, pointing out that educated youngsters were looking for jobs and their skills could be gainfully utilised for developing and working on computerised security systems.

He said that that shutting down the town in such a manner was against human rights and hoped that if things kept moving in the same direction, soon other sectors might also be fortified. Already some of them are in a state of siege, thanks to offices of many embassies, UN agencies, NGOs and other businesses operating out of private houses. A number of streets were barricaded, especially after the attacks on an Italian restaurant and the Danish embassy, both of which were based in residential areas.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=177707