Attock Bridge, M-14, Hazara Expressway and other key arteries cleared for traffic
PESHAWAR:
Following orders from the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to restore public roads for all types of traffic, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police (KP) and the administration quickly mobilized to launch a large-scale operation on Tuesday to open blocked roads across the province.
Several major roads, including Attock Bridge, M-14, Hazara Highway and key roads in Dera Ismail Khan, were reopened and protesters were dispersed while roads were cleared.
The KP Inspector General of Police (IG) immediately issued instructions to regional and district police officers to ensure prompt implementation of the court’s directives.
The IG pointed out that the High Court had clearly stated that impeding the public’s right of movement was a violation of the Constitution. He ordered all officers to comply with court orders and restore traffic without delay, prioritizing the ease of movement of citizens.
As part of the operation, barriers blocking Attock Bridge on GT Road, which connects Punjab and KP, were removed and traffic flow was restored. Roads connecting Dera Ismail Khan to Mianwali and Chashma have also been cleared, along with the M-14 highway from Dera Ismail Khan to Islamabad, including the CPEC York Toll Plaza.
Additionally, Hazara Expressway, including Havelian and Muslimabad interchanges, has been cleared for traffic.
“The main objective of the operation is to provide citizens with travel comfort, avoid any disruption to daily business and activities and assure the public that roadblocks will not be tolerated,” the IG said. He stressed that the right to movement, as guaranteed by the Constitution, would be fully protected and no roadblocks would be allowed in the future.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi apparently expressed his disapproval of the IG’s actions and said it showed he was following instructions from elsewhere.
“In my opinion, the honorable judiciary should investigate the matter before issuing orders. What do people want? Why are they sitting here?”
The PHC had earlier issued a direct order to the IG and the chief secretary to immediately open the roads and submit a report to the court by the end of the day, while also taking action against those taking the law into their own hands.
The court expressed strong disapproval over the forced closure of the highway and GT Road by PTI workers protesting against the health problems of party founder Imran Khan.
A two-page written order was issued by the court and during the hearing, Justice Ijaz Anwar expressed his anguish saying, “The entire province is cut off from the country.
The hearing was conducted by a two-member bench of the PHC, comprising Justice Anwar and Justice Farah Jameela. The petitioners, including Subhiya Shahid, Yusuf Ali and Shaoor Wardag, informed the court that the PTI workers had closed the highway and GT Road. Protesters had blocked the highway at Anbar Interchange and GT Road near Attock Bridge for the past five days, causing serious inconvenience to the public and disrupting citizens’ movement.
The petitioners argued that the right to free movement is guaranteed by Article 15 of the Constitution. Despite this, local government, the National Highways Authority and other authorities have turned a blind eye to the road closures.
Justice Anwar asked the KP Advocate General to clarify how many people had faced legal action for blocking roads. The attorney general asked for more time to compile the data.
However, Justice Anwar insisted there was no need to provide details of past cases, emphasizing the urgency of the matter. “The roads are closed, and have been for several days now. What has the provincial government done so far? How many cases have been registered against the protesters?” he asked.
Citizens suffer as PTI blocks roads
PTI workers and supporters had blocked major highways in KP to protest the alleged denial of access to jailed party founder Imran Khan, including meetings with his family, lawyers, sisters and personal doctors.
The protests severely disrupted traffic, isolating Punjab province and other regions.
Long queues of vehicles formed on the Peshawar-Islamabad highway near Sabzi Mandi interchange, as well as on key routes such as Dera Ismail Khan-Bhakkar road, Lakki Marwat-Mianwali road, Hazara highway, Abbottabad-Havelian interchange and Kohat-Pindi road.
Commuters, including women, children and patients, are stranded for hours, facing severe difficulties due to the blockades. Residents have expressed widespread frustration and anger, with many questioning why residents of the province, who overwhelmingly voted for the PTI, are bearing the brunt of the protests.
“People voted for the PTI in this province, so why are ordinary citizens being punished like this? » remarked a stranded traveler. Critics argued that if the protests were necessary, they should target Islamabad or other federal regions rather than disrupt provincial life.
