ISLAMABAD: Commuters on Tuesday were stranded in massive traffic jams near Faizabad after the capital police installed an additional picket on the Islamabad Expressway.

Traffic jams have become frequent in the federal capital due to multiple police pickets on busy thoroughfares, particularly on the Islamabad Expressway near Faizabad.

These pickets are described as essential security measures, even though the M-Tag system was introduced to track the movement of vehicles entering and exiting the capital. The tags were initially billed as a modern solution to Islamabad’s security problems, but it appears the capital police prefer to stick to their old practice of random checks.

Police officials said the Islamabad Expressway remains choked most of the time, with vehicles either stuck in long queues or moving at a very slow pace. The installation of a picket on the Expressway under the Faizabad flyover on the exit lane has further worsened the congestion.

In the prevailing scorching weather, policemen deployed at the picket were seen sitting in the shade while commuters endured long queues inside their vehicles.

The traffic management in Islamabad is now seen as beyond the capability of the Islamabad Traffic Police. Instead of ensuring smooth traffic flow and enforcing traffic laws, the ITP is accused of focusing on the criminalisation of minor violations, allegedly jeopardising public safety and serving other operational purposes.

Last year, the interior minister ordered the installation of M-Tags on vehicles and motorcycles for security purposes. The M-Tag system is linked with the Safe City Authority Islamabad for surveillance and monitoring of vehicles entering the capital. However, police continue to rely on pickets, contributing to persistent traffic jams.

During a National Assembly session last month, the interior minister, while responding to a question by MNA Aliya Kamran, stated that the M-Tag campaign began on November 15, 2025, and so far M-Tags have been installed on 296,823 four-wheelers and 187,341 two-wheelers.

The key objective of the M-Tag campaign is to enrol all vehicles in the Safe City security system. It is considered an alternative system to ANPR-RFID (Automatic Number Plate Recognition–Radio Frequency Identification).

The identification tags allow access to real-time data through a live system. E-pickets are being established by capital police at entry points of Islamabad, and motorcycles with e-tags can be tracked by law enforcement agencies through Police and Safe City systems.

The effective functioning of the M-Tag system is ensured by Safe City and police through continuous monitoring and system record updating, coordination with the FWO and other stakeholders for distribution and implementation of M-Tag infrastructure, and public awareness campaigns.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Jawad Tariq was approached for comments but did not respond.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Sarfaraz Virk, when contacted, said the ITP could not regulate a security checkpoint run by the Operations Division and could only request authorities to rationalise their checking mechanism. He added that the department remained available to assist road users on the roads.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2026