Author: Noc Team

In a webcast lecture, Professor Scott D Sagan said that if developed countries with competent civilian controls can make errors it was safe to assume that countries with “less vigorous civilian controls, less professionalised ” will behave in dangerous ways.

According to Sagan some states that have nuclear weapons don’t see them as a deterrent but as a shield behind which they can take more aggressive action. “If some militaries think war is inevitable in the long term they believe they can engage in preventive war. And if they think nuclear weapons are a good deterrent, it also gives them the incentive to use force at lower levels,” remarked Sagan. Such posturing was not witnessed even during the cold war. But, according to Sagan, we see this often between India and Pakistan, most notably during the Kargil conflict and even later.

Sagan explains Pakistan’s nuclear safety dilemma as: “The civilians are at the wheel. The military is at the accelerator and somebody is pulling the brakes.” This is neither “a rationally controlled operation nor proper nuclear signalling”. As witnessed during Kargil, he said, some of this signalling gave off vulnerabilities. Overall, he noted, Pakistan has a vulnerability-invulnerability problem. “Pakistanis keep their weapons in storage on military bases, and not in the high state of alert,” he said. “They know that those weapons are vulnerable in the event of an attack by India or the US.”

At least four were killed and more than 39 were injured when a powerful blast hit the Crime Investigation Department (CID) police station at University Road in Peshawar on Wednesday. According to details, the explosion occurred when an explosive-laden car rammed into the wall of the CID police station.

As a result, four persons were killed while more than 39 were injured. Many police personnel were among the injured. Senior Provincial Minister Bashir Bilour claimed that the car was carrying 300 kilogram of explosives which hit the police station building. Police started further investigation of the incident.

Where on one side Kalma Chowk Flyover would resolve many traffic issues and save the time for reaching one place to another, on the same side problems like Environmental effects and long halt traffic blocks also getting on the nerves of citizens. Ferozpur road is one of the busiest roads in Lahore and Kalma chowk is a centre point for half of the people of Lahore going to office, shop, schools or colleges.  In order to improve the transport facilities and to keep the traffic flow smooth, it was decided to construct the flyovers and underpasses at Kalma chowk. Before its construction the people had to wait for long by standing on traffic signals and now on its construction they have an objection of traffic management and environmental effects. People cannot be happy in any way!

Need of Kalma Chowk Flyover

Due to the rapid growth in population there is tremendous increase in the traffic of Lahore city. People who used to travel between Barkat market, Liberty, Gulberg, Model town and Canal road have to pass from Kalma chowk. It is estimated that 4 lac vehicles pass daily from Kalma chowk. In the peak hours, traffic police has to manage the traffic manually rather to switch on the traffic signals and in the harsh summer season people have to wait for long in the severe traffic jams. In view of these issues Government of Punjab decided to construct flyovers and underpasses on Kalma chowk which would give much relief to the people who use to pass daily from Kalma chowk.

Criticism on Kalma Chowk Project

Conservation Society and Shajar Dost foundation did file a case against Chief Minster and Communication and Works (C&W) department. They challenged the project that it is not constructed according to Law and Pakistan’s environment protection act. The said that engagement of National Engineering Services Pakistan Limited (Nespak) and National Logistics Cell (NLC), the commencement of work at the site, all violated the public’s fundamental right of a clean environment. They say that every big construction project should involve the public opinion and this project did not start by involving people who suffered with it. They raised a question on the development priorities of Punjab Government that recently Punjab had suffered devastated flood and now they are making huge expenditure on one road that is of 2.3 billion rupee project. Well regarding environment so there is no issue on rooted up the trees because in that region there are very less number of trees but they have an issue that there should be other alternatives rather to construct bridges.

Future of Project

Kalma chowk project is still a part of long debate. There are many positive and negative sides but people do realize the need of it. At the time of emergency no one wants to stick in traffic jams. Well the stay order has been given to the authorities and construction work is pending till next hearing in court.