Traffic Restrictions Ease as TLP March Nears Islamabad

As the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) demonstration progresses from Lahore towards Islamabad, authorities have partially reopened several significant roads in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Sunday.

While key routes are still obstructed by shipping containers, local administrations have started to relax limitations in certain areas of the twin cities to ease commuting difficulties.

Since Friday, the twin cities have experienced partial shutdowns following a call to protest by the TLP, whose members are marching towards Islamabad to express solidarity with Palestinians.

According to officials, mobile internet access has also been partially reinstated in some sections of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Traffic Updates

The Rawalpindi Traffic Police have released an updated traffic management strategy. According to the police, six of the city’s 43 previously blocked locations have been entirely reopened, while 35 have been partially cleared. For the third day in a row, Faizabad remains entirely inaccessible.

In Rawalpindi, roadways leading to residential areas and adjacent streets off Murree Road have been reopened to vehicular traffic. However, major routes such as Murree Road, Faizabad, the Expressway, and IJP Road remain closed. The metro bus service connecting Rawalpindi and Islamabad will remain suspended until further notice.

Motorway police have confirmed that the M-2 Motorway connecting Lahore and Islamabad is now open, with traffic flowing normally. The Islamabad Expressway and the route from Ninth Avenue to Double Road have also been partially reopened, though the Faizabad route from the Rawalpindi side remains closed.

Security Measures

Islamabad DIG Muhammad Jawad Tariq visited Faizabad to assess the law and order situation, assuring that the capital’s security and order would be maintained “at all costs.”

Traffic police have announced diversions at various points near Faizabad. Entry of heavy vehicles into Islamabad remains prohibited. Motorists traveling from Rawal Dam Chowk to Rawalpindi are advised to take Park Road, while those heading to the airport should use Kashmir Chowk and Srinagar Highway.

Residents of I-8 have been advised to use Zero Point, Srinagar Highway, Club Road, and Park Road, while those coming from Koral should use Khanna Pul, Lehtrar Road, Tramri Chowk, and Rawal Dam Chowk.

Lahore Situation

In Lahore, violent clashes between TLP demonstrators and police resulted in injuries to 112 officers and the detention of over 100 activists, according to DIG Operations Faisal Kamran. According to reports, the protesters also vandalized the Shahdara Town police station and damaged public and private property.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry stated earlier that the government was seeking a peaceful resolution but would not be “blackmailed by mobs,” accusing the TLP of using sensitive issues for political advantage.