Authorities dig trenches to block routes of KP convoys heading to Islamabad

 ISLAMABAD –  In a dramatic move to prevent protestors from reaching the capital, authorities have dug up trenches along key roads connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) to Punjab, adding to the extensive travel disruptions already in place. This unprecedented action has effectively crippled major routes, causing chaos for commuters and businesses alike

The M1 motorway, a vital link between Islamabad and Peshawar, has been sealed off at four crucial points: GT Road, Attock Khurd, Hassanabdal, and Chashma Point. Containers have been placed at these locations, but the additional step of trenching key roads marks a new level of restriction aimed at curbing movement between the provinces.

In conjunction with the trenching, sections of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have also been blocked, further complicating transport and trade routes. Travelers have been left stranded as entry and exit points across the district are effectively shut down, with few options for navigating the widespread closures.

These extreme measures come amid growing tensions as authorities brace for mass protests in the capital. The decision to dig trenches along major routes highlights the government’s determination to prevent the convergence of protestors from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into Punjab and onwards to Islamabad.Meanwhile, incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan again called on his supporters to gather for a “peaceful protest” as his party amped up preparations for the rally scheduled for today despite a ban on gatherings. Another one is also scheduled for Lahore’s Minar-i-Pakistan on Saturday.

The PTI has carried out multiple rallies across the country in recent weeks, protesting against the “illegal” imprisonment of its founder and the Election Commission of Pakistan’s delay in implementing the reserved seats verdict, as well as to “save the Constitution”.

Ahead of its rallies in Islamabad and Lahore earlier this month, the government had issued a set of strict guidelines, which the PTI failed to follow fully, sparking clashes between its workers and the authorities.

The PTI today shared updates of its caravans departing various cities, despite being warned by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi a day ago not to hold any rally in Islamabad due to several high-profile visits by foreign dignitaries.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Maulana Fazlur Rehman, with whom the PTI has been in frequent amicable contact recently, has also urged the party to postpone its planned gatherings till the foreigners have left.

The police have blocked all entry and points to the cities and tear gas shelling has also begun in an attempt to disperse protesters.