Pakistan imposes northwest highway closures ahead of Imran Khan’s Islamabad rally

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan will shut key highways linking the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to Islamabad and Punjab beginning Wednesday evening, the motorway police said, ahead of a planned march on the capital by supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The restrictions affect the main motorway between Peshawar and Islamabad, as well as a major highway crossing the Indus River near the KP–Punjab border. Additional closures impact routes from both southern and northern KP heading toward the capital. Authorities have not yet announced when the roads will reopen.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf (PTI), which governs KP, has called for a rally in Islamabad on 27 September to demand his release. The government has warned against the protest, erecting barriers around the capital and on approaches from KP. While the police advisory does not specify a reason, Pakistani media have linked the closures to preparations for the demonstration.

“From Wednesday evening, September 23, the M‑1 motorway will remain closed to all traffic in both directions between the Islamabad toll plaza and Chach Interchange,” the National Highways and Motorway Police said.

Chach Interchange is located in Attock district, near the KP boundary. The closure blocks the usual motorway approach to Islamabad for traffic coming from Peshawar. A separate Islamabad police advisory says the M‑1 shutdown begins at 11 p.m. on Wednesday.

Motorway police have also closed the M‑14, which links the Islamabad area with Dera Ismail Khan in southern KP, and the N‑5 highway at Attock Khurd, where it crosses the Indus between Punjab and KP. The traffic advisory, issued by Arab News, also lists restrictions on the Hazara Motorway (serving northern KP) and on the Rawalpindi‑Kohat and Abbottabad‑Hassanabdal roads.

These closures affect major routes into and out of KP, though not every road between the province and the rest of the country will be impassable. The M‑2 motorway between Islamabad and Lahore remains open. Motorway police advise travelers to check current conditions and call the helpline at 130 before setting out.

Khan has been in jail since 2023, with his party contending that the cases against him are politically motivated. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has warned PTI against proceeding with the Islamabad march, stating that the government will take action if the protest goes ahead.

Source link