Traffic restoration begins on major highways leading to Islamabad

The road situation for citizens travelling between Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has started improving. GT Road has been opened for traffic at Khairabad, while the process of removing obstacles is also underway on the M1 Motorway.

The decision to restore important highways has come at a time when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has postponed its long march to Islamabad on September 27 by a week. The party has now announced to start the march from Peshawar on October 4.

The road closures have been causing difficulties for those travelling between Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past few days. Traffic was restricted on some major routes, including M-1, while barriers were also erected on various entrances and bridges.

Now that the situation has changed, the process of restoring normalcy on the roads has begun. Sandbags, iron sheets and containers on M-1 are being removed. Traffic is expected to fully resume once all the barriers are removed by the authorities.

The Motorway Police had earlier announced that the closed motorways, including M-1, M-14 and E-35, would be reopened for traffic on the morning of September 27. Citizens have been advised to check the latest situation before starting their journey and follow the instructions of the Motorway Police.

The real importance for citizens is how quickly normal traffic between Islamabad and Peshawar is restored. The removal of barriers could facilitate daily travel, passenger vehicles and inter-provincial traffic.

However, there are reports of security arrangements being maintained at some places in Islamabad. Therefore, the situation on different routes may not be the same.

The Motorway Police has urged citizens to get the latest information on the relevant route before travelling. It would be more useful for passengers going to Islamabad, especially, to check the traffic updates before departure.