5-hr traffic gridlock… Is Faisal Raza Abidi really worth it?

Citizens of Karachi learnt the news of Senator Faisal Raza Abidi’s appointment as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Karachi President the hard way on Tuesday when they found themselves stuck in a gruelling traffic jam caused by a gathering of a large number of PPP activists and supporters at the Shahrah-e-Faisal, the city’s busiest thoroughfare.
Moreover, air travellers returning to Karachi, particularly those arriving from Saudi Arabia after offering hajj, found it almost impossible to reach home because PPP workers had crowded Terminal 1 of the Jinnah International Airport to welcome Abidi.
PPP jiyalas were least bothered to even let ambulances – many of which were carrying people in immediate need of medical attention – pass. While all vehicular traffic was jammed bumper to bumper, the jiyalas were seen dancing at the Shahrah-e-Faisal with no regard for anything or anyone else.
PPP members and supporters from every nook and cranny of the metropolitan thronged to the airport, blocking the Shahrah-e-Faisal in the process. Following that, traffic coming from the Northern Bypass, Quaidabad and Malir was affected, which in turn disrupted traffic heading towards the II Chundrigar Road, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Clifton and Defence Housing Authority.
The celebration of Abidi’s arrival started Monday night as the PPP Karachi Division set up temporary camps along the Shahrah-e-Faisal. Party workers danced through the night and the situation turned appalling by Wednesday noon when PPP jiyalas, many riding camels and donkey carts, started gathering at the Shahrah-e-Faisal.
Dressed in white shirts, the welcome celebration organisers blocked the roads leading to the airport around 12:00 pm and attempted to manage the flow of traffic through alternate routes, but horribly failed to do so. Traffic heading to the airport from the Model Colony graveyard and Star Gate was blocked around noon and the routes were reopened after five hours. While the traffic police tried to maintain smooth flow of traffic from time to time, they seemed helpless in their efforts.
PPP activists and supporters reached the airport by cars, motorcycles, buses, minibuses, camels and donkey carts. As their means of transportation were barred from entering the airport premises, they left them at the Shahrah-e-Faisal and marched towards Terminal 1 to welcome Abidi.
By 5:00 pm, commuters at the Shahrah-e-Faisal were experiencing possibly the most taxing traffic jam in their lives. The traffic situation could be witnessed from as far as the Quaidabad and Drigh Road flyovers.