The Lahorities were all wound up yesterday and flaunted their distress with interest, at Bund Road near Babu Sabu Interchange when poor rickshaw drivers took to streets against the harsh behaviour of traffic wardens and later against non-responsive behaviour of Punjab Government. A real glimpse of civil disobedience was witnessed during a clash between rickshaw drivers and Lahore Police following the issuance of fine ticket by a traffic warden to a rickshaw driver for the violation of traffic rules on Friday after Juma Prayer. Bund Road near Babu Sabu Interchange became a battle field when a traffic warden namely Ehtesham (belt number 1437) slapped the face of a rickshaw driver namely Muhammad Mazhar, who was on his way on Band Road, besides issuing him a fine ticket allegedly without any reason. The rickshaw driver was furious, and called his co-drivers of Rickshaw Union, and staged a protest demonstration against City Traffic Police by blocking Band Road.
In the meantime, the victim Mazhar turned further furious and climbed up an electric pole to commit suicide. Following Mazhar, around 10 other drivers also climbed up the electric poles to support him. However, the LESCO officials suspend electricity supply to three grid stations to save the lives of rickshaw drivers.
At About 3 pm, the real drama started when Chief Traffic Officer Sarfraz Falki and SSP Operations Sajjad Munj reached the scene and tried to talk with the representatives of Rickshaw Drivers Union but they refused to talk with policemen despite the fact that the CTO assured rickshaw drivers for issuance of fine ticket worth Rs 100 only if any rickshaw driver caught violating traffic rules. The police officers then called heavy contingent of police from 20 police stations including their SHOs to disperse the protestors. The police force reached the scene and resorted to lathi charge on protesting drivers. The protestors retaliated by pelting stones on policemen and by beating few cops.
Protest intensified when a cop while retaliating to a stone thrown on him by a protestor, opened aerial firing that injured a protesting rickshaw driver namely Attique. Violent protestors further attack cops, which entered into a ‘dera’ owned by one former Nazim of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Habib Ullah Bhatti. Protestors followed the cops and allegedly attack the said place as well. Two security guards of former Nazim in order to protect his son opened aerial firing. Due to the firing of security guards, a cameraman of a local television sustained minor bullet injuries. Babu Sabu interchange presented a look of battle field for over five hours as police had also failed to disperse the violent protestors.
MPA Khawja Imran Nazir was called to soothe the anger of rickshaw drivers and he after reaching the scene held talks with the office bearers of Rickshaw Union including Wali Shah, who presented a demand of giving taxi to all rickshaw drivers from the scheme of Punjab Government and also to relax criteria of challaning. The talks proved successful as MPA Imran Nazir assured them to meet their all demands so that such incident may not happen again. After successful talks, the protestors dispersed and Mazhar and his supporters came down from the electric poles. The main victim told that traffic warden had consecutively issued 6 challans to him on ‘no reason’ and later closed his rickshaw in the police station. He added that traffic wardens never care of poverty of the traffic wardens and issue challans just to show performance to their bosses. Azra, wife of Muhammad Mazar, who reached to Babu Sabu interchange along with her mother in law after she heard that her husband has climbed up onto a poll, while talking to media said that since four to five days, Mazhar was coming home without any money. She while describing the reason claimed that traffic wardens only daily basis issues him a fine ticket. She said that they were quite dependent on the earning of Mazhar and his four children daily awaits for their father to return with money. SSP Operations Sajjad Munj said that no one was injured due to firing. He said that if the accused persons were found, FIR would be registered against them. However, he said no legal action is so far being taken against violent protestors. The CTO said that he has suspended accused traffic warden and further justice would be done.
‘High tension’ as rickshaw drivers create pandemonium
