VIP Movements
- Mrs A Mahmood, Lahore

ON April-19, I was driving along with my friend on the Mall, Lahore, at around 10am when all of a sudden we were motioned by some policemen to move to one side of the road.

I kept driving in the left lane when again the policemen frantically motioned me to move my car further left. There was no more room on that side of the road.

My friend observed that someone important must be about to pass by, which is why we were being “driven up the wall”.

We were the only ones on that particular stretch of road and the rest of the traffic was held further back from where we had entered.

The policemen looked upset but I just kept driving on the extreme edge of the road thinking there was enough room for the VIP and his cavalcade to pass, and also that I too had the right to drive on the road.

Four cars with blaring sirens — and loaded with armed policemen — passed by in high speed, pointing at us as if we were saboteurs.

Closely trailed by three more armoured vehicles, a black car with heavily tinted glasses zoomed by so fast that we could not even see the VIP.

The last of the cavalcade drove so close that at one point I thought they were going to run into my car with their guns pointing at us.

My friend looked worried and said, “You could have gotten us killed…” I may not be a supporter of the Pakistan People’s Party but one image from 1977 has left an impression on my mind.

We were on a roadside when Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto passed by and he had his car’s windows down. I was only a child then but he stopped his car to meet me along with some grown-ups who were standing by.

I would certainly like to know the worth of the person in that black car that makes us common citizens feel worthless.●

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