Bilawal House set to kiss the barriers goodbye

Karachi
After a great deal of controversy, former president and Pakistan People’s Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari finally issued instructions on Tuesday for the removal of the barriers in front of the Bilawal House - his high-security residence as well as the party’s headquarters in the city.
In a statement issued by the Bilawal House, the party said it was removing the barriers on the instructions of Asif Ali Zardari despite security threats.
“Necessary directives have been issued to Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah in this regard,” said Sherry Rehman, the party’s vice president.
On March 20, Sindh Rangers director general Major General Bilal Akbar had issued a three-day ultimatum for the removal of barriers and barricades across the city.
When the deadline expired, the paramilitary force had launched a campaign to remove them.
Apart from the Bilawal House, the issue of the barriers and obstacles around the residence of former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf in General’s Colony, off Zamzama Boulevard in Defence Phase-V, had also become equally controversial.
The provincial government had formally requested Rangers not to remove the barricades and security installations around the residences of the two former presidents keeping in view the security threats they faced.
But Rangers had partially removed the barricades near Musharraf’s house.
The barriers in the surroundings of the Bilawal House obstruct one of the lanes of Khayaban-e-Saadi in Clifton Block 3. Besides, the partial or complete blockade of nearby lanes also causes problems for the residents.
Earlier, an entire portion of Khyaban-e-Saadi intersecting the Bilawal House was inaccessible because of the barriers.
One of the lanes was reopened for vehicular traffic after a protest demonstration staged by the supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in December, 2013.
That protest had led to a scuffle between PPP and PTI activists. The PTI was particularly vocal over the issue as the party had secured the constituency wherein the Bilawal House lies in the last general elections.
The Rangers operation against barriers in Karachi was also discussed at meeting held at the PAF Base Faisal, presided over by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif when he had arrived in the city on March 25.
The prime minister had reportedly appreciated the Rangers’ efforts and directed the paramilitary force to continue the crackdown without any discrimination. He had also instructed government high-ups to assist Rangers in their action against barriers.
The chief minister and provincial information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon had come to the defence of retaining barriers outside the Bilawal House at a time when blockades at other high-profile places in the city including those outside the Muttahida Qaumi Movement headquarters Nine Zero had been removed.
Memon told reporters on March 26 that barriers had been placed outside the Bilawal House after acquiring special permission from the federal and provincial governments.
He also said the home department and the police’s special branch, after evaluating the security situation, had reached the conclusion that the Bilawal House required special barriers and barricades.
The chief minister said on the occasion that barriers outside the Bilawal House were not affecting human and vehicular movement as much as those at some other places in the city that were completely barricaded and citizens were allowed to pass through them after being subjected to questioning.

‘Gear up for LB polls’
PPP co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari also directed the party’s cadre to prepare for local government elections in earnest as the polls are essential to strengthen democracy at the grassroots level.
Presiding over a meeting, attended by Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari and other elected representatives and office bearers of the PPP from Hyderabad and Matiari districts at Bilawal House, Zardari stressed the need to gear up development work including construction of roads for providing farmers with an easy access to markets. He directed office bearers to start campaigning and announced to hold public gatherings throughout the country in this regard.
Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah, MNA Faryal Talpur, Sherry Rehman, Ministers Sharjil Memon, Jam Khan Shoro, Makhdoom Jamil-uz-Zaman, Makhdoom Rafiq-uz-Zaman and others also attended the meeting.