ROADBLOCKS set up by law-enforcement agencies in Quetta are always a harrowing experience. Quetta, along with some other cities, has in recent years experienced a number of bomb blasts, followed by roadblocks which create more troubles for the people as if it is they who are the culprit.

In Quetta, the main offices of the province intersect a part of Zarghoon Road and it is blocked from many years.

Recently, the inspector-general of police was attacked in a suicide blast. After that, even more roads were blocked. The road near the walls of such buildings have also been closed.

It shows an immature approach by officials who block roads for their safety instead of exploring any better option.

The same is in Islamabad. An area is blocked and named ‘red zone’. The apathy is that it is in the middle of the city. Thousands of people are affected by these blockades.

These measures are similar to beetle that closes eyes thinking if it can’t see the enemy, it is safe. But it is not that simple.

Quetta experienced bigger blasts in which heavy explosives were used. But there the government didn’t block the road because no high-profile person resides there. Our former chief minister had also blocked the road in front of his house.

If this is the morale of our officials, they should go to mountains so that the public should take a sigh of relief. The same thing I witnessed on the road leading to police lines in Quetta. At many places half of the road is blocked by barricades by the police.

One can see roadblocks near the FC headquarters at Model Town in Quetta. This defensive approach is further demoralising the public. If the police and other forces are so powerless, what will happen to us?

A huge amount of public money has been spent on these roads for our convenience, but innocent people are being harassed by various methods. Perpetrators are not even one per cent in society. This exposes the officials’ who cannot catch terrorists before they attack. An overhaul is needed in the policy as blocking roads is not a good option.

AAMIR KHAN KASIQuetta