Tsunami of adverts all over the city

Defacement of public and private property continues unabated. Commercial posters, billboards and wall writings continue disfiguring city walls. And this nuisance certainly is not new in the Rawalpindi city.

“No nook and corner of the city has been spared by these irritants. No organization, institution of the city is far behind when it comes to defacing the city walls. The municipal corporation should display boards warning violators with punishment for putting posters anywhere in the city,” says Hasan Reza, a social activist.

“These days, if you want to see the good looks of the city or the lavish greenery of the old days in this present concrete jungle called Rawalpindi city, you had better forget about that. All you can see now is nothing but billboards, banners, streamers or the razzle-dazzle of neon signs,” says Saira Batool, a beautician.

“Maybe, the different types of billboards in the city have been erected with the approval of the city authorities, but the city seems to have become a city of advertisement now. Given the myriad of advertisements, it gives a feeling that the whole city is up for sale,” says Komal Rizvi, a college lecturer.

“Whatever the area may be, commercial or residential, the advertisers are grabbing every neighbourhood to flash their products or business. Multinational companies, corporate houses, social organizations and even schools and colleges are eager to keep consumers abreast of their services and product line,” says Iqbal Mehdi, a doctor.

“There is no single major city main road which is not crammed with a variety of advertisements. Take a look at places such as Ammar Chowk -- billboards, neon signs galore to dazzle your vision,” says Mushaf Ali, an engineer.

Jawad Naqvi, a designer, says: “Even the rooftops and walls of residences or private buildings are not spared. The advertisers have extended their reach everywhere. And the city has paid for it, that is to say, loss of splendour.”

“Though some adverts are quite attractive to fire the desire of the consumers to buy their products, there are billboards that contain obnoxious matters, for example cinema houses billboards showing awkward style of actress can be bracketed in this category,” says Yasir Abbas, a school teacher.

When asked about the rule of advertisements in the city, Anayat Hussain, an official of the Rawalpindi City Corporation, asking that he not be named, says: “More billboards are seen at private places since the private owners offer them for rent. And for that the RMC does not get paid. However, he accepted that unauthorized billboards have mushroomed in the city though permission is mandatory for putting up any billboard even at a private land.”