Barricades outside Karachi's Bilawal House removed after 7 years

KARACHI: After a lapse of almost seven years, all barricades including a concrete wall have been removed for all traffic on roads around Bilawal House – the residence of former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari – on Wednesday morning.

Traffic has now resumed on roads leading to Bilawal House from Sea View and Boat Basin areas.

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said that the blockades are removed on the directives of Asif Zardari.

Earlier, PPP vice-president Sherry Rehman had said that despite security threats, the barriers in front of Bilawal House are being removed on the instructions of party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

The barricades were put up during 2008 and 2013 when the PPP government was in power to thwart likely Taliban attack.

DG Rangers Bilal Akbar had given a three-day deadline to the Karachiites to take down barriers in their neighbourhood following the raid at MQM headquarters Nine-Zero on March 11.

Meanwhile, a spokesman of Rangers said that a permission letter would be required from now on for all barricades and barriers on minor roads. The permission letter would be issued upon consultation between law enforcement agencies and the district administration, he added.