TAXILA: Authorities blocked GT Road and the motorway to stop PTI supporters from marching towards Islamabad from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other areas on Sunday.

Shipping containers were placed on GT Road near Taxila and on Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway (M1) at Katti Pahari near Hassanabdal. The authorities had also planned to block all routes between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab by putting piles of mud, containers, ballasted stones, cement blocks and iron barriers and fences at many places. Heavy contingents of the police force were also deployed on GT Road at Attock Khurd and on MI near Burhan. As a result, commuters from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Hazara and Attock faced hardships.

“I along with my minor daughter was going to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology Rawalpindi from Haripur for a post-surgery but the roads have been closed at Margalla and we were unable to reach the hospital”, said Sabtain Jadoon, 40, a former serviceman, while looking towards shipping containers placed on GT Road near Margalla.

Jehan Ara, an elderly woman, said her daughter went to Islamabad for an interview and she informed her on phone that roads were closed and she was stuck at Margalla.

Employees of various private and government organizations also suffered due to blockade of GT Road and the motorway.

Gujar Khan

Commuters suffered hardships as roads in Jhelum, Sohawa, Pind Dadan Khan, Gujar Khan and Rawat were sealed by law enforcing authorities ahead of the PTI protest.

The authorities in Gujar Khan also sealed GT Road at Missa Kiswal while containers were arranged to seal other points, including Mandra-Chakwal dual-carriageway.

A large number of travellers faced difficulties in reaching their destinations as all three bridges over River Jhelum were sealed with freight containers.

A patient, whose identity could not be confirmed, passed away near the Jhelum bridge while being transported to DHQ Hospital Jhelum from Sarai Alamgir in an ambulance.

Sources in Jhelum police stated that the district was sealed at five entry and exit points which included three Jhelum River bridges connecting GT Road with Gujrat through Sarai Alamgir; Mangla bridge connecting the district with Mirpur AJK; Missa Kiswal Bridge near Sohawa; Lillah Motorway Interchange M-2, and Sohawa-Chakwal dual-carriageway at GT Road in Sohawa.

The sources said that over 1,000 police personnel were performing duty in the district while the reinforcement of Rangers did not reach the district till the filing of this report on Saturday evening even though the Home Department had approved the deployment of a company of the paramilitary force in Jhelum by Saturday.

Meanwhile, a large number of commuters including wedding convoys and ambulances hired a small ferry to cross the Jhelum River at Chak Nizam point near Pind Dadan Khan and exit Jhelum and Mandi Bahauddin districts by putting their lives at risk.

According to a journalist, Mohammad Waseem Wasi, the ferry service was suspended by local authorities after videos of the dangerous crossings were shared on social media.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2024