The M-1 Motorway connecting Islamabad and Peshawar was reopened to traffic in both directions on Monday, along with the N-5 (GT Road), following several days of closure intended to prevent a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) march towards the capital. The National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) confirmed the reopening after the routes had been blocked.
PTI had been organizing a nationwide protest and march on Islamabad to demand the release of its founder, Imran Khan, who remains incarcerated at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi. On September 25, the party announced the march would be postponed to October 4.
The NHMP stated that restoration efforts were ongoing on parts of the highway network, urging motorists to adhere to traffic instructions and exercise caution in affected zones. Notably, the loop that links the M-1 with the Hazara Motorway is still closed as repairs continue, along with restoration work on the M-14 Motorway segment between Hakla and Kundal.
Travelers heading from Islamabad to Abbottabad via the M-1 have been advised to exit the motorway at the Burhan Interchange and use the GT Road through Hassan Abdal. They can then rejoin the Hazara Expressway at the Jhary Kas Interchange to proceed toward Abbottabad.
These routes had been closed indefinitely starting the night of Wednesday, September 23, to prevent PTI supporters from reaching Islamabad ahead of the planned September 27 march. At that time, the NHMP had closed the M-1 between Islamabad Toll Plaza and Chhachh Interchange in both directions, the M-14 between Hakla and Kundal, and GT Road at Attock Khurd.
Attock, a strategic junction linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), northern Punjab, and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi area, saw containers and sandbags placed at Attock Bridge and Haroon Bridge to restrict movement. Security was heightened at the Chhachh and Ghazi interchanges, with an estimated 30,000 personnel deployed across the district.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami had also planned a march towards Islamabad against the petroleum levy but postponed it following a request from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, pending a meeting with him.
In a significant development, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah emphasized that while everyone has the constitutional right to protest, marches on the capital should be discontinued. He suggested that demonstrations be held in cities such as Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Karachi, Peshawar, or Multan instead.
Sanaullah clarified that this restriction is not exclusive to PTI, noting that assemblies in Islamabad without prior permission violate the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024. Highlighting the presence of foreign diplomats in the capital, he stressed that protests there could send a negative message.
He accused PTI of attempting to overthrow the government, alleging the party’s objective was to breach Adiala jail where Imran Khan has been held since his conviction on August 5, 2023. Sanaullah, PTI had not sought permission from Islamabad administration nor provided details about the timing or duration of their protest. He urged the party to approach the Islamabad High Court with necessary guarantees but doubted they would comply.
Addressing the placement of containers in Islamabad, Sanaullah rejected the term “container city,” explaining that closures were limited to the Red Zone and the M-1. Containers were positioned strategically at road corners for safety and could be deployed as needed. He insisted that the situation in Islamabad was being misrepresented by the media.
When questioned about the possibility of a crackdown similar to the November 26, 2024 response to PTI’s “Final Call” protest, Sanaullah refrained from commenting directly but warned PTI against attempting a march that would challenge law enforcement or advance toward D-Chowk, stating access would be denied under any circumstance.
He further cautioned that any use of force by PTI supporters, in light of a recent Islamabad High Court ruling, would legally justify a government response.
The Islamabad High Court had ruled on September 14 that no political party or leadership has the legal right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas, or buildings in Islamabad.
Despite the march postponement, security measures remain in place in Rawalpindi Division and the federal capital. Punjab has banned gatherings across the province until October 5 and prohibited incitement to unlawful assembly. Similarly, a Section 144 order has been enforced in Islamabad for two months. The federal government authorized the deployment of Rangers in Islamabad and several Punjab districts from September 20 to October 5 to maintain order.
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