Re: March Parade; Halted Tradition to be Resumed, finally!
Troops occupy playgrounds, parks, open spaces in Islamabad
PREPARING for the up-coming Pakistan Day parade, on 23 March, various formations of the armed forces have taken over available playgrounds, parks and open spaces in the federal capital with military gadgets and weaponry.
The green belts between G-6 and G-7 and F-9 and G-9 sectors in the capital city are these days looking like battlefields where dozens of tanks, missile-carriers, military trucks and other weaponry and hundreds of troops have been stationed. In the backdrop of Parliament House, the armed forces would march to celebrate Pakistan Day. “My school-going children would use to play cricket in the Lal Quarters ground being adjacent to home which has now been taken over by the military taking part in the 23rd March parade. My children are constantly requesting me to allow them to play in F-6 playgrounds which is unacceptable to me,” said Mohammad Ramzan, a resident of G-6.
Resultantly, the residents of Islamabad are facing problems these days. The main roads near the Blue Area and the Constitutional Avenue, the hubs of commercial and official activities, are being blocked again and again for the movement of the troops.
The city administration seems least bothered about the long queues at every traffic signal for the troops’ free movement. The anger among the commuters for blockade of roads for hours is unexplainable.
“For the last three years, Pakistan Day parade could not be held due to the effects of 9/11. Thanks God, the government has decided to hold the parade this year.
The nation should observe the day at all costs as 23rd March is a sign of national unity and solidarity. The concerned authorities should also take into account inconvenience caused to the general public due to massive troops movement and weaponry,” said Syeda Shazia, a college student.
The parade preparations have got hold of the entire capital, as traffic is blocked on roads around the parade venue. The traffic signals are turned off as and when there is any military movements and all roads are blocked. Even some commuters condemned the idea of shifting the parade from Racecourse Ground, Rawalpindi to in front of the Parliament House, Islamabad sometimes back.
“Even though Pakistan Day is about two weeks away, residents of the capital city have started experiencing long traffic jams as military hardware is being shifted to Islamabad without taking into consideration problems to be faced by the residents and commuters alike,” said Niyaz Ali, a resident of G-7 sector.
Under the plan, military personnel will undergo drills in a playground situated in the green belt of F-9 and G-9 sectors. Some residents of sector G-9 also expressed happiness and fears of presence of military personnel in their area. As some were happy to see young valiant soldiers clad in their crisp uniforms boasting their glittering medals, some feared level of security in the area.
“Every effort should be made to celebrate 23rd March but not at the expense of the public inconvenience. Unfortunately, in present times, it has become a mere holiday when one can stay an hour or two longer in bed. For most of us it passes off without so much as a thought regarding the importance of this day. As time passes, the necessity of highlighting the importance of this momentous and vital day gets more significant,” said Nadeem Iqbal, a commuter.
Interestingly, there is a sector H-11 allocated for holding of the parade on such occasions in the master plan of the federal capital. Being adjacent to a dumping site, the sector has not been developed by the CDA for unknown reasons. Hence, there seems a remote possibility that the parade will ever be shifted to Sector H-11, even if it is developed sometime in future.
—Mohammad Saleem Shahid
http://www.pakobserver.net/200503/02/news/islamabad08.asp
