KARACHI: The residents around the National Stadium are awaiting a huge curfew-like situation from January 25 until the end of the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa which will begin here at the National Stadium from January 26.
A senior police official told ‘The News’ that from 8am on January 25 the areas around the venue will be completely sealed. If the Test goes on for full five days the residents will face huge issues in their movement. On Wednesday a glimpse of that was seen when security rehearsal took place around 3pm.
The areas around the venue, a few kilometres on each side, were completely sealed. This correspondent also had to walk from National Stadium to Karsaz. Commuters, mostly women, were seen walking off the red zone. Even the patients coming out of the two major hospitals in the area faced huge troubles.
The security arrangements made for the South African team are those that are made for heads of states.
“It’s a huge issue,” a resident of KDA scheme 1, which suffers the most during such matches, told ‘The News’. “As now foreign teams have started coming to Pakistan the authorities should try to plan in a manner that life of people should not be disturbed,” he said.
Another resident of the area said that South Africa series is not the only issue. “We are bracing up for bearing the problems during PSL-6 as Karachi will host many matches of the league. Where we should go?” he said.
During PSL-6 the people will have to bear the traffic and movement issues for around 20 days.
“It’s a huge problem. When I was coming into the stadium a person shouted to me why media is silent over such issues which have made the life of people miserable,” a reporter of a private television channel told this correspondent. The security forces include officials of police, SSU units, Rangers, and traffic police.