ABDULLAH MUGHAL

LAHORE: Commuters, especially motorists, office workers and business community on Thursday suffered worst traffic mess in the provincial metropolis due to foolproof security arrangements made on the visit of Turkish President Tayyib Erdogan.

The commuters faced traffic blockade due to closure of all routes leading towards Aziz Bhatti Road/Mall Road, Lower Mall Road from Punjab Civil Secretariat to Lahore Fort, Circular Road, Lahore Railway Station to Greater Iqbal Park, Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore Fort, and Hazuri Bagh remained closed for the general public to avoid any untoward incident in the city. The Canal Bank Road also witnessed worst traffic mess where people remained stuck for several hours.

The Mall and other roads were blocked by the local administration after 3:00PM, leaving the commuters in trouble. The main traffic flow was diverted to various link roads.

The local administration did not allow the traders to open their shops at The Mall which wore a deserted look due to security reasons. The whole road and the Lahore Fort was cordoned off with barbed wires and other related measures. Even the pedestrians were not allowed entry on The Mall.

More than 5,000 policemen were deployed to guard the city. The personnel of Dolphin Squad, Flying Squad, Elite Police and Ranges were also deputed at sensitive spots.

Similarly, traffic coming to Lahore from Ravi Road was diverted to Ring Road. Vehicles aspiring to go out of city from Lorry Adda and Vegetable Market used Ring Road.