Unannounced activation of mobile jammers for the security of Punjab Assembly members (MPAs) during a session of the provincial assembly on Monday remains the source of great inconvenience to a large number of citizens in the vicinity.
The Mall Road is the city’s prime artery where scores of businesses, hotels and even other government concerns are housed. The Punjab Assembly at the Charing Cross is at the heart of the road surrounded by the WAPDA house building and the Avari Hotel on the one side, while the Alfalah building on the other. On the opposite side of the assembly, along the Mall are various business centres, which even extend along the adjacent Shahrah-e-Fatima Jinnah (formerly Queen’s Road). Even the chief minister’s office and office of the CCPO is also in the vicinity and other businesses include major banks and law firms.
The jammers were activated for the major part of the day when the assembly was in session. The major purpose of the session was to condemn the terrorist attack in Peshawar, but the session started under the protection of “jammers” which put the life in entire neighbourhood in jeopardy.
“The lives of politicians are not more important than ordinary citizens. There was no intimation about the jammers and we only realised it when the signals dropped and cell phones stopped working. Mobile is pivotal to the business [currency exchange] but we had to bear with this sudden disconnection from our work and families,” Iqbal Chohan, a trader on the Mall said.
The routine life remained disturbed in the vicinity.
“The use of cell phone has become essential for routine life and it was so disturbing that suddenly our mobile phones stopped working. In times like these, such a move is always shocking and disturbing for the folks trying to contact you,” Azam Suleman, a lawyer, said.
Security at the adjacent Avari Hotel was also severely affected for the lack of mobile communication.
The government always informs the people through the media about activation of jammers on important days such as Eid prayers, religious processions and other such gatherings.
However, SP Civil Lines Imtiaz Sarwar said he cannot comment on the security-related issues such as jammers. “It’s just that we cannot intimate about the activation of jammers anywhere because it compromises security,” he added.
Punjab government spokesperson Zaeem Qadri was not available for comments.
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