Islamabad needs smarter security, not more roadblocks

https://arab.news/63jyh

Many years ago, while supervising security arrangements for a high-profile visit, I stood at a roadblock watching traffic build up under the afternoon sun. Drivers were frustrated, motorcycles squeezed through gaps, and pedestrians searched for alternate routes. Amid the confusion, an elderly man approached carrying a sick child in his arms. He was trying to reach a nearby hospital. “How long, Sahib?” he asked quietly. I looked toward the convoy route and realized I had no clear answer.

Security was necessary. The threat was real. But had caution begun to outweigh common sense? The suffering of common people caught in the disruption was equally real. Since then, I have often reflected on a difficult question: how do we protect society without making society pay an unnecessary price?

A city usually wakes up to an ordinary morning. Children head to school, patients rush to hospitals, office workers hurry to work, and shopkeepers open their businesses. Then a convoy moves. Roads are sealed, traffic freezes, and daily life comes to a standstill. Hours later, normality returns until the next closure.

For residents of Islamabad and other major cities, this has become a familiar experience. Security arrangements for foreign delegations, political gatherings, protests, cricket matches, and VIP movements increasingly shape the rhythm of urban life. The question is no longer whether security is needed. It is whether security can be provided without disrupting the lives of millions.

Pakistan faces genuine security challenges. Decades of terrorism, political violence, and targeted attacks have left deep scars on the national psyche. The........

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