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LAHORE, Dec 8: Heavy police deployment at all six entry points of the GOR-I to prevent lawyers, students and civil society members from gathering outside the official residence of deposed Justice MA Shahid Siddiqui disturbed the routine of its residents and other citizens.
Following the directives of the Lahore High Court to declare GOR-I a no-go area for ordinary citizens and people who protested the forced eviction of the defiant judges from official residences in the recent past, the police high-ups deployed the personnel in large numbers on Tollinton Road and at all entry points of GOR-I to implement Section 144.
Tollinton Road remained closed for traffic and citizens, except the residents of GOR-I where some deposed judges, including Justice Siddiqi, are currently living.
Officials were seen erecting barricades and security gates at all points and kept questioning the motorists before allowing or denying them entry into the GOR-I. Three entry points on The Mall, one on City Canal Road and one each from Jail Road and Aiwan-i-Tijarat Road were closed for visitors and ordinary citizens.
At least eight police reserves had been deployed in and around GOR-I plus six motorcycles with one additional police official present at each entry point, a police official told Dawn.
Three police reserves, each comprising 20 policemen, had been deployed on Tollinton Road to stop lawyers, civil society members and students from gathering outside the residence of Justice Siddiqi immediately after the LHC decision, inspector Sharjeel Zia Butt, in charge of the reserves, told Dawn.
Only residents of the road were being allowed to go pass the barricades, he added.
“You can neither use this (Tollinton) road nor can you go to the justice’s residence as no one, including journalists, is allowed to move inside by the higher-ups till further orders,” he made it clear.
By 9pm, the deployment was further enhanced with three police reserves making it to three entry points on The Mall.
RESIDENTS SUFFER: There was thin traffic movement inside GOR-I on Saturday as the police did not allow the visitors to the residences and passersby who usually use it for a shortcut route or those who visit Racecourse Park for evening exercise.
“The police have been quizzing people for the last three days after a series of protests outside the residence of Justice Siddiqi, but residents of GOR-I have to pay the price as the police stop them and visitors many times,” a resident of Aikman Road told Dawn.
“The police did not allow my three visitors during the last two days and every time we are questioned while entering the road,” he said.
Another motorcyclist, Shahzad Ayyaz, who was returning from his Danepur Road office to his Neela Gunbad house and was stopped by the police before entering Tollinton Road, said he had to show his card every time before leaving or entering GOR-I for the last two days and this caused a lot of inconvenience to him.
Meanwhile, the police officials deployed at the Jail Road entry also restricted the movement of motorists, including those who wanted to park their vehicles at the Racecourse Park parking lot.
Only influential and regular visitors were allowed to enter the parking lot. “We have been not allowed to enter the parking lot without any sound reason and are returning home,” said a disappointed, Adil Ikhlaq, and his wife.
