Lahore’s administration has reportedly sealed all general bus terminals, suspending intercity transport services and leaving passengers stranded.
The terminals were sealed late Saturday night, while services remained suspended on Sunday. The move disrupted travel from Lahore to Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, southern Punjab and several areas of central Punjab.
Passengers faced cancelled tickets and suspended departures as transport companies stopped dispatching buses.
Major private operators, including Faisal Movers and Daewoo, also halted services. Representatives of both companies confirmed that buses were not being sent out because of reported restrictions on public transport movement.
However, the motorway police gave a different account.
Motorway Police spokesperson Imran Shah said motorways and national highways remained open. He added that he was not aware of any official order requiring bus services to stop.
Another motorway police official, speaking anonymously, reportedly linked the suspension to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s protest call.
The official said private vehicles were still allowed to travel on the roads.
The transport disruption comes amid PTI’s ongoing march demanding the release of former prime minister Imran Khan.
The march began on October 4 and has so far remained within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Authorities have also moved containers to Swabi Interchange and the Indus River bridge on the M-1 in an effort to block the protest march.
Despite those measures, the motorway and Grand Trunk Road were reported to remain open.
The sudden closure of bus terminals has caused major inconvenience for passengers, especially those travelling long distances.
There was no immediate confirmation on when intercity bus services would resume.
