Authorities have closed several major routes linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Taxila, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, with closures remaining in place until further notice.
TAXILA: Traffic movement on several major routes connecting Taxila, Haripur, Rawalpindi and Islamabad has been disrupted after authorities placed heavy containers at key points as part of security measures ahead of a planned protest in Islamabad.
Local reports said traffic approaching UET Taxila from the Gate No. 1/Ganguwali side has been stopped, with the road reportedly sealed using heavy containers.
According to an Islamabad Traffic Police advisory, the Abbottabad-Hassanabdal Road has been closed from Jhari Kas Checkpost, while the Hazara Motorway has been closed from the Hazara Interlink near Burhan Interchange. The closures took effect at 11 p.m. on Sept. 23 and will remain in place until further notice.
The traffic advisory also announced closures on the M-1 Peshawar Motorway from Haroon Bridge, the M-14 CPEC route from Kani Bridge near Tarap Interchange, the N-5 GT Road from Attock Khurd and the Rawalpindi-Kohat Road from Khushal Garh.
Reports from the region indicate that containers and other barriers have been positioned at several crossings linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Punjab and Islamabad. These include routes around Taxila, Hasanabdal, Attock and Jhari Kas.
Police had seized around 2,700 vehicles, including container carriers, in Islamabad and Punjab as part of preparations to block roads. The vehicles were reportedly taken into custody in several locations, including Taxila, Hasanabdal and Attock.
The road closures come amid heightened security preparations for a planned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf protest in Islamabad on Sept. 27. Authorities have also increased security deployments and introduced restrictions on several major transportation corridors connecting the capital with surrounding areas.
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