PTI Protest Day 3: Islamabad Restores Mobile Signals, Rawalpindi Traffic Back to Normal

PTI Protest Day 3

Islamabad woke up to a tense and eerily quiet Sunday morning following an entire night of clashes between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters and law enforcement agencies. The protest, which began on October 4, has led to a virtual suspension of life in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

For three days, citizens have been dealing with major disruptions. The Metro Bus service, which connects the two cities, has been suspended, creating significant hardships for daily commuters. While mobile signals in Islamabad were partially restored by noon, much of the capital remained in a state of shutdown.

Business activity across both Rawalpindi and Islamabad is at a standstill, further compounding the difficulties for residents, many of whom rely on online services, which have been severely impacted by the suspension of mobile internet.

One of the major roadways, Murree Road, has been closed to all traffic for the third consecutive day. Containers have been placed on key routes leading to the road, creating a maze of blockades from Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi to Faizabad.

Punjab Police are deployed across various locations as security remains on high alert. The road closures have presented an enormous challenge for citizens, particularly those attempting to access hospitals and medical facilities.

Furthermore, the complete halt of the Metro Bus service is exacerbating mobility issues for workers and students alike.

In an update from local authorities, it was announced that mobile phone services would be fully restored soon. Despite this, the larger disruption to daily life continues to take its toll. Within Islamabad, major roadways such as the Expressway and Kashmir Highway remain open, providing some relief.

Murree Road and Airport Road are also accessible, but all routes leading in and out of the Red Zone are completely sealed off. The M1 motorway to Lahore, previously obstructed by trenches, has now been cleared and reopened for traffic. The M2 motorway, connecting Islamabad to Peshawar, has also resumed operations after being shut for several days.

As the protest persists, there remains a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the fate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who led the PTI’s demonstration from KP.

Gandapur has been missing since Saturday evening, after entering KP House in Islamabad. Initial reports from ‘security sources’ claimed that he had been arrested, but the federal government swiftly denied these claims.

Faraz Mughal, Gandapur’s spokesperson, stated that there has been no contact with the Chief Minister since Saturday, raising concerns about his whereabouts.

According to Mughal, the protest had been called off just before Gandapur’s disappearance, although the streets tell a different story with demonstrators still active.

Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, there has been some relief as containers were removed from key locations, including Murree Chowk, Committee Chowk, Waris Khan, and Rawalpindi Double Road. However, while these areas have been cleared, routes leading to Islamabad remain blocked, keeping intercity travel at a standstill.

Further north, the M1 motorway in Peshawar has also reopened, as authorities cleared all blockages and repaired potholes. The resumption of traffic on this key route marks a slight return to normalcy, though the overall situation remains volatile as the PTI protest continues into its third day.

With no clear resolution in sight and Gandapur’s whereabouts still unknown, the tension between PTI supporters and law enforcement remains high, making it difficult to predict when life in Islamabad and Rawalpindi will return to normal.