Cricket matches security: Traffic police ordered to keep traffic flowing

LAHORE:Hearing a petition against the closure of traffic in the name of security during cricket matches, Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered traffic police to keep the traffic flowing and all roads open.

The judge observed that fundamental rights of people cannot be infringed and people cannot be subjected to torture. During the hearing, the judge ruled, “It takes me two to three hours from the last three days to get home. Ambulances and ordinary families are also stuck in traffic. If a patient dies in an ambulance, then who is responsible for this.

Now the smog season has started. If there is any problem, the flow of traffic should be continued.” Following the court’s order, Pakistan Cricket Board CEO Salman Hussain, CTO Lahore and SP Security appeared in the court. The CTO Lahore told the court that on behalf of the Home Department, "We have been ordered to have zero traffic for security, which is why the traffic was blocked.”

The SP Police Lahore and chief traffic police undertook before the court that directions of the court would be complied and traffic flow would not be hampered. The judge said, "We have been working for the last three years to prevent environmental pollution. If the international teams come later, it will happen every time. The court is not against the events of the PCB. If the teams are kept close to Gaddafi Stadium, the City will not be closed.”

The court-appointed judicial commission presented a report and stated that 7 million people in the world die due to pollution every year. Fifty percent of pollution is caused by vehicles. 1.15 million liters of petrol is used if vehicles are stopped for an hour and they emit 6 million pounds of carbon dioxide. Petitioner Shiraz Zaka Advocate stated that the flow of traffic was being severely affected due to cricket matches. Environmental pollution is on the rise. The court summoned the Home Department secretary in person for October 11.