JI protest: All road blockages in Islamabad cleared

ISLAMABAD: All road blockages in Islamabad have been cleared and normal traffic flow has resumed throughout the city on Saturday. But Metro bus service remains suspended.

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police and law enforcement blocked multiple routes in twin cities, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, including from Faizabad to Murree Road on the expressway of Islamabad by placing container jams, causing significant traffic disruptions amid the protest call by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).

The district administration had sealed the federal capital’s D-Chowk by placing containers on the nearby roads and the police had arrested more than a dozen JI activists and local office-bearers.

Islamabad Police had placed containers on the internal and external routes of the federal capital. In response, the Islamabad Traffic Police have issued an alternative traffic plan to mitigate the disruptions.

Jamaat-e-Islami granted conditional permission to continue sit-in for 2 to 3 days

On Friday evening, the protestors agreed to disperse and move to Liaqat Bagh Rawalpindi, and by Saturday morning, city officials confirmed that all road blockages in Islamabad had been removed.

The Islamabad Traffic Police reported that traffic was back to normal, with vehicles moving freely across major routes like Jinnah Avenue, Faizabad, Srinagar Highway, and the Islamabad Expressway.

A senior official from the Islamabad Traffic Police stated, “Our teams have worked hard to clear the roads and facilitate smooth traffic flow. We urge commuters to follow traffic rules and drive safely.”

However the Metro bus service continues to remain suspended in Islamabad till the filing of this report.

Residents have also expressed relief at the restoration of normalcy.