ISLAMABAD: Touseef Ali and his family from Bhara Kahu wanted to visit Pakistan Monument but had to return from the entrance on the Srinagar Highway side after they were refused entry.

“This gate remains closed due to security reasons for years; please come from the other side,” the visitors were told by a security guard.

Like Touseef, every day a large number of people reach the gate from Srinagar Highway only to know that it is closed. They then take the Aabpara or I-8 side to reach the monument via Garden Avenue.

Near the entrance to the monument, the visitors face gridlocks, especially on the weekends, as the road is being used for parking and the motorists have to use the reverse gear and go back from the same road.

While another road to the monument which is supposed to be used for exit is also closed as it is being used for horse and camel riding. However, during arrival of “special guests, VIPs and officers”, the road is opened, said a security guard.

“The VIP culture should be eliminated in the country and all citizens should be treated equally,” said a taxi driver. He appreciated Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s decision to remove police pickets from Islamabad and requested him to also order reopening of the entry gate to the monument from Srinagar Highway.

“These buildings and roads belong to us, so we [citizens] should be allowed to use them to enter the monument from Srinagar Highway as well,” he said.

Another citizen, Naseem Hussain, said the overall arrangements on the premises of the monument are fine but the Srinagar Highway side entry should be reopened.

“Now, there is no security issue in the country but here the gate has been closed for years,” he said and requested the Ministry of Interior to take notice of the issue. He also demanded abolition of the Rs20 per person entry fee.

Interestingly, the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) had awarded the contract to collect the entry fee almost a decade ago against Rs5 million, which expired in 2015. Since then, the contract has not been renewed rather the DMA extends it every year with a 10pc increase.

“Pakistan Monument is a national asset and every citizen has the right to visit it. Normally, a single ticket of Rs20 does not matter but when families from poor background come here they have to purchase tickets for everyone,” said a security guard.

A CDA official said DMA was a resourceful department. “Collection of almost six to seven million annually is a small deal for the DMA so there will be no big loss if we it abolishes the entry fee. But the DMA cannot take such a decision without the involvement of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI),” the official said.

When contacted, DMA Director Amir Shahzad said: “Being newly-appointed, I have no idea why the entry from Srinagar Highway side is banned. I will visit the monument to check why the road is closed. Let me assure you that we will take a decision to facilitate the visitors,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2021