ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to close the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M1), the Islamabad-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway (M14) — also known as the CPEC road — and GT Road (N5) for an indefinite period from Wednesday evening to stop the PTI protesters from reaching the federal capital on Sept 27.
A spokesperson for the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) said the closure will come into effect from tonight (Wednesday night).
According to an NHMP statement, the M1 will remain closed to all types of traffic in both directions between the Islamabad Toll Plaza and Chhachh Interchange, while the M-14 will remain closed from Hakla to Kundal to traffic in both directions.
Similarly, GT Road will remain closed to all types of traffic in both directions at Attock Khurd, he added. Sources said these roads will remain closed till further notice.
Attock — the Punjab district bordering KP — is considered strategically important because it provides major road links between KP, northern Punjab, and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi region.
Hazro and the surrounding bridges are a particularly key focal point of preparations for the PTI’s proposed march.
Against this backdrop, security arrangements have been intensified across Attock, and authorities have placed containers and sandbags reportedly at Attock Bridge and Haroon Bridge, the two major bridges connecting KP and Punjab.
Security has also been tightened at other important entry and exit points, including the Chhachh and Ghazi interchanges, with almost 30,000 personnel, including senior officers, being deployed in the district to stop the protesters.
Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2026
