Last Updated on September 24, 2026 by YeJahan
YEJAHAN REPORT
ISLAMABAD (Sept 23): The federal capital has been effectively transformed into a fortress as authorities deploy hundreds of heavy shipping containers, seal off critical motorway interchanges, and shut down schools and universities. The massive security lockdown comes as the government prepares to thwart a major demonstration planned by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The extensive blockade has severely disrupted daily transit, with transport networks heavily restricted to isolate the city and prevent opposition caravans from converging on the capital. In tandem with the physical barriers, universities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have suspended in-person classes, advising students to attend online sessions instead.
The strategic Attock Haroon stretch of the motorway has been closed until further notice, with all vehicles travelling from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into Punjab barred from entry. Similar heavy restrictions have been enforced at the Ghazi interchange, whilst the route from the Islamabad toll plaza to Chhachh interchange has been entirely blocked.
Heavy-duty trailers have been positioned across the tarmac on the M1, backed by a significant deployment of national highway authorities, motorway police, and Punjab police units to enforce the lockdown. Meanwhile, the capital has ground to a partial halt, with universities shutting their doors and moving all lectures online. Furthermore, Section 144 has been imposed across Punjab, remaining in place until October fourth.
Motorway lockdowns ordered four days ahead of PTI protest
This latest standoff stems from an ongoing, deeply entrenched political crisis, intensified by PTI’s call for a march on Islamabad. The demonstration is a direct protest against the treatment of the party’s founder and former prime minister, Imran Khan, who has been held in custody since August 2023 following his conviction in the Toshakhana state gifts case. He was found guilty of failing to properly declare assets and revenues generated from the sale of expensive state items received during his tenure in office.
Copyright Yejahan News Network
