M-1 Motorway closed indefinitely

As the deadline for PTI's decisive long march on Islamabad approaches, the Centre has begun taking precautionary measures to prevent protesting caravans, particularly those from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, from reaching the federal capital and to block major roads linking the province with the federal territory. In this regard, the federal government has imposed a complete ban on traffic and advised motorists to avoid travelling on the Peshawar Motorway (M-1), which will remain closed to all types of traffic from 11:00pm on Wednesday, September 23, until further orders. However, the M-2 Motorway (Islamabad-Lahore) would remain open to all types of traffic. Motorists were advised to plan their journeys in accordance with the traffic advisory and strictly follow the directions issued by traffic police. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to revise its strategy for a planned march on Islamabad on Sept 27, with differences emerging within the opposition party over whether to move directly towards the capital or stage sit-ins along the Punjab border first, party sources said. PTI's leadership has proposed holding sit-ins at several points along the Punjab border on Sept 27 before advancing towards Islamabad in phases. However, lawmakers and some party leaders have called for the protesters to move towards the capital on the same day, the sources said. The issue was discussed at a parliamentary party meeting at the chief minister's residence in Peshawar, where the party leadership consulted lawmakers and office-bearers on its strategy for the planned protest, according to the sources. The meeting was told that the federal government had closed parts of Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi to prevent PTI supporters from reaching the capital, which the party described as an early success for its protest campaign. Under the proposed plan, PTI supporters would stage sit-ins at the Attock Bridge, near Hazro on the motorway, in Haripur, at Khushalgarh in Kohat and in Nathia Gali. The party would then consider moving towards Islamabad in the first week of October, the sources said. Some lawmakers opposed the proposal, arguing that the Sept. 27 protest should not be confined to sit-ins and that the convoy should proceed towards Islamabad on the same day. The meeting, which lasted about two hours, failed to reach a consensus. The party is expected to hold another meeting on Sept. 25 to finalise the protest strategy, the sources said. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar have previously described the planned protest as a "Test match" rather than a "T20", suggesting that the party expects the campaign to continue over an extended period. PTI's leadership has nevertheless decided to launch the march from Peshawar on Sept. 27, the sources said. A convoy led by Afridi is expected to travel from Peshawar along the Grand Trunk Road to Attock, with the strategy for the onward journey to Islamabad to be announced on Sept 25.