Islamabad road updates amid PTI protest

ISLAMABAD: In light of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) protest, the capital has again been sealed by the second such clamp-down by the authorities, in a few months, to thwart unauthorized gatherings.

The government had announced that mobile data and Wi-Fi services will be temporarily curtailed in sensitive security areas while normal internet and cellular operations persist across the rest of Pakistan.

Islamabad Roads Update

According to recent updates, in Islamabad, containers have been placed on the road from Rawat to Islamabad, while the Srinagar Highway has been sealed at Zero Point. The Expressway Khanna Bridge has also seen containers blocking, with the road sealed from Shakarparian to I-8. The road running from Golra Mor to GT Road has also been blocked and completely sealed for any traffic.

Containers have also been placed on Airport Road, and Margalla Avenue has been blocked by the placement of containers on the E-11 sector side. The route from Iran Avenue to D-12 has been closed, although one lane of Iran Avenue has been left open for entry from E-7 and D-12. Traffic has been blocked near Faizabad.

All roads leading from the city and Chakri to Adiala Jail have been closed in Rawalpindi. Sealing of entrances and exits from cities, including Lahore, has also been put into effect, with the Babu Sabu interchange being closed. All four motorway interchanges in Sargodha are closed, and all entry and exit points from Gujranwala are sealed.

In Daska, the connecting road to Gujranwala was closed near Nandipur, and all entry and exit routes in Sialkot have been sealed off. The Motorway Sambrial-Sialkot-Lahore has been closed to all traffic, and containers have blocked the Sialkot-Sambrial GT Road. In Chiniot, roads from the Chenab River have been closed to traffic, and dumpers have sealed off the road from the Chenab Nagar Toll Plaza.

The National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) has announced the closure of key routes for ‘maintenance’. It advised commuters to avoid unnecessary travel due to the PTI protest which may cause a law and order situation.

The NHMP confirmed the closure of major motorways linking the capital with the other regions, including M-1, M-2, and M-3. M-4, M-11, and M-14, effective from Friday night.