ISLAMABAD (MNN); Islamabad Police have announced that the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) will be closed to all types of traffic from 11pm on Wednesday, September 23, as authorities step up security measures ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s planned September 27 march towards the federal capital.
In an advisory issued on Tuesday, police urged travellers from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other areas to avoid the M-1 and postpone non-essential journeys. The M-2 motorway between Islamabad and Lahore will remain open to all traffic, and motorists have been advised to plan their journeys accordingly.
The move comes as PTI continues to maintain its call for a September 27 mobilisation despite warnings from the government and intensified security preparations. The party says the protest is aimed primarily at securing the release of its founder, Imran Khan, while also raising broader political and constitutional demands.
Contacts Fail to Break Deadlock
Sources familiar with recent discussions between PTI representatives and authorities said the contacts failed to produce a breakthrough, with a deep trust deficit between the two sides emerging as a major obstacle.
According to the sources, the discussions focused on the possibility of de-escalating tensions if PTI agreed to call off the September 27 mobilisation and gave assurances that it would not in future resort to prolonged sit-ins, road blockades or direct confrontations with law-enforcement agencies.
The sources said authorities indicated that such an understanding could potentially open the way for certain concessions concerning PTI founder Imran Khan and his family.
Among the issues reportedly discussed were the possibility of shifting Bushra Bibi to Bani Gala, arrangements for Imran Khan to be transferred to a hospital for medical treatment, and greater facilitation of meetings with him.
The sources said any proposed relaxation would be linked to an understanding that facilities available to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi would not be used for political activity. Meetings with Khan could be facilitated in accordance with applicable rules, but political mobilisation or political activity from inside prison would not be accepted, according to the sources.
No agreement was reached, however, and the reported contacts did not change PTI’s publicly stated position on the September 27 protest.
KP Expected to Be Main Mobilisation Centre
Recent developments indicate that the practical mobilisation for September 27 could be concentrated more heavily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, although PTI continues to publicly describe the action as a nationwide protest and march towards Islamabad.
PTI has been preparing a central convoy from KP, with caravans from other parts of the country expected to join before reaching the federal capital.
According to sources cited in the discussions, workers in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan have generally been asked to hold protests in their respective areas because of comparatively greater administrative restrictions and pressure in those provinces. PTI workers in Punjab districts bordering KP have reportedly been told they may coordinate their mobilisation with the KP campaign.
The sources further said there had been no specific direction for the PTI’s Islamabad organisation to independently bring out a large procession from within the capital. The principal thrust of the planned march is expected to come from KP, while the precise movement towards Islamabad would depend on developments on the ground.
PTI has not publicly confirmed this detailed internal strategy. Publicly, party leaders continue to insist that the September 27 programme will proceed.
Sohail Afridi Reiterates March Plan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has repeatedly maintained that September 27 remains the date for the march. On Monday, PTI leadership met in Peshawar to finalise the strategy for the planned mobilisation, with Afridi expected to announce details of the protest plan.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said the party’s march would remain within the framework of the law and Constitution and that the party would not take law and order into its own hands.
Security Measures Intensified
Authorities have already deployed around 2,000 containers at various locations in Islamabad and at Attock Bridge, an important entry point from KP and northern parts of the country.
The Islamabad High Court has also issued a detailed judgment concerning the proposed protest, holding that activities infringing citizens’ fundamental rights would violate the Constitution and warning against disruption of public movement and access to essential services.
The government has repeatedly warned that it will enforce the law if the protest causes disruption. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday urged PTI to reconsider the march and said the government would give a full response if the party proceeded with it.
Naqvi has also said the government is examining legal options concerning the situation in KP, while Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has warned that no violent group would be allowed to enter Islamabad in a manner that disrupts public movement.
Meanwhile, the KP government has directed officials not to use public funds, official vehicles, machinery or other state resources to facilitate the PTI march, following directions linked to the Islamabad High Court’s ruling.
The Jamaat-i-Islami, which had separately announced a march against the petroleum levy, has meanwhile postponed its Islamabad march following an appeal from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, pending a meeting with him.
With PTI maintaining its September 27 call and the government preparing extensive security measures, the closure of the M-1 from Wednesday night is expected to significantly affect travel between Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and other areas connected through the motorway.
