ISLAMABAD: D-Chowk was opened to the public again for the first time in over a decade on Friday.

The famous intersection in front of Parliament House was closed to the public in Nov 2007, during the emergency proclaimed by the then president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf.

It was-reopened on a number of occasions for short periods of time, including for the National Day parade in March 2008. It was also used in Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf dharna of 2014. One of the reasons it was closed again was that it was used for political gatherings, demonstrations and protests.

Barricades and containers were removed from the area on Friday, reviving one of the most lively places to be in the federal capital during the evenings, as locals used to spend time here with friends and family before it was closed. The barbed wire and concrete blocks have been removed as well.

A senior police official said the directive to open D-Chowk was issued from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Although D-Chowk and the Main Jinnah Avenue have been cleared for traffic movement, a police check post has been established there to keep an eye on the law and order situation. Some of the roads are still closed off however, including parts of Khayaban-i-Suharwardy in front of the Inter-Services Intelligence Headquarters and Mohammad Tufail Niazi Road in G-9, where the headquarters of the Federal Investigation Agency are.

When asked, Inspector General of Police Dr Azam Temuri said all the pickets and check points around the Red Zone will be linked electronically.

There are 38 checkpoints and pickets in the capital city, he said, and that plans are being made to reduce this number. The number of mobile police vehicles will increase though, he added.

Before it was cordoned off, D-Chowk was used to access Parliament House, the Supreme Court and other parts of the Red Zone from Jinnah Avenue.

Residents have been using Agha Khan Road, Margalla Road, Khayaban-i-Suharwardy and Shahrah-i-Jamhuriyat to reach Constitution Avenue since the intersection was closed.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2018