KARACHI:
The city administration has decided that Sea View Beach will remain open to the public on this year’s New Year’s Eve. Roads leading to Sea View Beach will not be closed so that citizens can easily reach the beach, while special traffic will be made for vehicular traffic to prevent traffic congestion.
These decisions were made at a meeting chaired on Thursday in his office by Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani in his office, where the commissioner said the government does not want to prevent people from participating in New Year’s Eve celebrations at Sea View and elsewhere.
Sindh’s chief minister, Murad Ali Shah, had directed the city administration to make special arrangements for citizens to go to the beach to enjoy New Year’s Eve. He said citizens would not be prevented from enjoying New Year’s celebrations if they are celebrated in a cultured and civilized manner, adding that no one would be allowed to break the law.
The meeting also decided to deploy special police units to monitor in case of misdemeanors or adverse incidents. These special units will take strict measures against those who carry weapons or use narcotics, while those who find harassing visitors would also be taken to task.
In addition, it was decided that Article 144 would be imposed on this occasion and a request will be made to the department of origin in this regard. There will be a ban on driving pilots, aerial shooting and wheels.
Four police officers fired for harassing a couple in Karachi’s Sea View
The traffic police informed the meeting about the arrangements made to ensure a better flow of traffic. He added, however, that instant checks would be carried out on the roads.
The commissioner said citizens have every right to enjoy New Year’s Eve, but that they should behave like civilized and law-abiding people. “No one would be allowed to carry a weapon, use narcotics, use a wheel or ride a bike without a muffler,” he added.
Meanwhile, firefighters and all hospitals have been asked to be on high alert to avoid adverse incidents, while it was also decided to ask K-Electric not to carry out any kind of unloading of cargo.
A popular destination
Sea View Beach is a popular place for people celebrating the arrival of the New Year in the metropolis, with many partygoers flocking from all over the city. Although the beach had been closed to the public on New Year’s Eve recently for several years, authorities had taken the welcome step of reopening the area for last-minute celebrations in 2017 and 2018.
According to sources, the government made the decision to reopen the beach because visitors had been diverted to residential areas of the Defense Housing Authority and Clifton when they moved away from their destination. This caused considerable inconvenience to residents of these areas, especially for the motorcycles without muffler that are in effect.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28thth, 2020.