KARACHI: While welcoming the holding of the final match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) in the city on March 25, 2018, the people of Karachi have vehemently criticised the Sindh government for security arrangements including blocking of major and linking roads around National Stadium three days prior to the final match, it emerged on Thursday.
Earlier in the morning, the law enforcers including police, traffic police and Rangers blocked all the U-turns on all the major roads around the National Stadium, while the road from Hassan Square towards Agha Khan Hospital, main stadium road from Millenium Mall to Stadium, and from New Town to Stadium were barricaded by parking water tankers.
The stadium road is the busiest road of the metropolis as it locates the largest private hospitals Agha Khan Hospital, Liaqat National Hospital, SRE Majeed, naval and air force residences, Civic Center (headquarter of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation), Bahria University, Karachi Schools of Arts, Indus University and others.
Interestingly, all the shops and markets on these roads including Millenium Mall, Saima Mall, Times Medicos, Murad Medicos several others were forcibly closed by the police and were allowed to reopen on Monday, March 24. The worst affected are the residents of dozens of societies that surround the national stadium.
“I requested the security personnel to allow me to go home however they are not allowing me to enter SRE Majeed. Now, what should I do? Do we have to pay for the PSL final for three days”, a commuter complained while talking to the scribe.
City’s Traffic Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Imran Yaqoob told Pakistan Today that Rangers will have security control of the stadium whereas 8,500 policemen and 1,600 traffic wardens will be deployed across the city to assist commuters in avoiding traffic jams and other hurdles.
He said according to the traffic plan, five designated places – three on University Road and one each at Kashmir Complex and on Dalmia Road have been reserved for parking and shuttle services. An empty ground near Urdu University, Sunday Bazaar and an empty ground next to the Hakeem Saeed Park are among the shuttle services and parking zones situated on University Road.
The shuttle service will drop spectators to three dropping zones: Aga Khan University Hospital’s Gate 3, Bahria University and the Expo Centre. All the points are about 200 to 300 metres from the stadium, the DIG added.
The officers said that the three busiest thoroughfares of the city – Sharah-e-Faisal, Sharah-e-Pakistan and Rashid Minhas Road will not be closed for vehicular traffic, but the routes leading to and from Hassan Square and New Town will be closed for traffic from 11 am till the end of the match.
He said that the spectators will go through many security checks and walkthrough gates. “Besides the government, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Rangers, police, army helicopters and Special Service Group (SSG) commandos of the Pakistan Army are also part of the security arrangements,” he explained.
“The match will start at 7pm, but the stadium’s gates will close at 5pm,” he explained, adding that only mobile phones be allowed, while food or mobile phone chargers will not be allowed. Food will be available for purchase inside the stadium by designated vendors of the PCB”, he concluded.
JPMC ALLOCATES 150 BEDS TO CATER EMERGENCY SITUATION
Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) allocated 150 beds to counter any possible emergency situation on the occasion of PSL final match.
The beds have been allocated to Accident & Emergency Department and extra-wards established at the hospital for this purpose. All kind of life-saving medicines are available in health care centre while the presence of doctors, paramedical staff and nurses would also be ensured.
