Major Roads, Red Zone Sealed Off Amid Protest Stand-Off
ISLAMABAD / RAWALPINDI – The twin cities remain crippled on Saturday as Tehreek‑e‑Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)’s protest call paralyzes daily life for a second straight day. Vital thoroughfares and intersections — including the Faizabad Interchange and IJP Road — are blocked. The Faizabad link between Islamabad and Rawalpindi is sealed with shipping containers. Other routes like Khanna Pul, Kuri Road, and Dhoke Kala Khan also remain inaccessible.
Authorities have put the Red Zone under lockdown, encircling D‑Chowk with containers to block entry. Heavy vehicles are barred from entering Rawalpindi, and roads to the airport are shut down. With roads cut off, traffic has ground to a halt.
Services, Education Halted; Internet Cut Amid Security Clampdown
Educational institutions across both cities are closed, and internet services remain suspended in many areas, compounding challenges for residents and businesses. Meanwhile, the Metro Bus service linking Rawalpindi and Islamabad has been suspended for security reasons.
Police forces are deployed in strength at critical protest sites such as the Faizabad interchange, known for past TLP sit-ins. Restaurants and hotels around Faizabad have been sealed. Authorities have also invoked Section 144 of the CrPC in Punjab, banning public gatherings and display of weapons.
The protest was called by the Saad Hussain Rizvi–led party, prompting the sweeping security response. State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry previously stated the government would use peaceful means to prevent the march to Islamabad and insisted that the state would not submit to mob demands.
Chaudhry accused the TLP of exploiting sensitive issues for political ends and questioned the logic behind their march, noting that Palestinians were celebrating a recent peace deal in Gaza, not mobilizing protests.
