Islamabad and Rawalpindi Roads Today, 6 October: Motorways Open, Red Zone Entry Cut

Motorways into Islamabad were open early on Tuesday 6 October 2026. The Motorway Police board showed the M-1, the M-2 and the GT Road from Peshawar clear at 04:14 PKT. The only law and order closure near the capital's routes was two northbound lanes of the M-14 between Yarik and Abdul Khel, near Dera Ismail Khan.

Inside Islamabad, police said on 5 October that no road into any part of the city was closed, according to reports. Entry to the Red Zone, where Parliament and the embassies are, has been cut to one or two points. The UN Secretary-General also starts a three-day official visit today, so expect security there.

PTI's march, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, is still inside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is due to move from Kohat to Peshawar today, according to reports. Here is what we checked at source and what is only reported.

Motorways into Islamabad were open at 04:14 PKT on 6 October

The National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) travel board showed every motorway into Islamabad open when we read it at 03:52 and again at 04:14 PKT. Road work closed single lanes in places. One law and order closure was listed, on the M-14 far south of the capital.

The board clock runs a few minutes ahead of ours, which is why one entry shows a later time than our check. Further south, the M-2 between Kot Momin and Lahore had a road work closure at Shadiwal and lane closures near Sheikhupura. Those are routine works, not protest closures.

This matches what we saw on 3 October, when Islamabad's motorways were open before the 4 October march. Last time the march was due, on 27 September, the M-1 and M-14 were shut both ways for days.

Islamabad police say no city road is closed, but the Red Zone is tighter

Islamabad police said on Monday 5 October that "no road is closed for going to any area of Islamabad", according to reports. They added that the Red Zone's many entry points had been brought down to "one or two".

Containers placed at Faizabad, 26 Number Chungi, T-Chowk and Margalla Avenue in late September were still reported near sensitive areas and entry routes. We could not read the Islamabad police or Islamabad Traffic Police accounts on X today, because access was blocked for our tools. So we have no official list of which Red Zone gates are open.

If you work in the Red Zone, leave early and carry your office card. Call Islamabad Traffic Police on 1915 before you set out.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is in Pakistan from 6 to 8 October on an official visit, the Foreign Office says. His programme includes the President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister. We found no traffic plan for the UN Secretary-General's visit, so call 1915 if your route passes the Red Zone.

The march moves from Kohat to Peshawar today, still far from Islamabad

PTI's convoy stopped overnight in Kohat on Monday and is due to leave around noon today for Peshawar, according to reports. The reported plan ends at Khairabad, on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab border, on Thursday 8 October.

No date for reaching Islamabad has been given. PTI has not posted the schedule on an official page we could find, so treat every date here as reported. Section 144 orders were also reported in several southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts.

The two sides held talks before the march started. Our report on the second round of government and PTI talks covers what was said on 3 October.

Metro bus, mobile internet and schools have no closure notice

We found no official notice stopping the Rawalpindi Islamabad Metrobus, mobile internet or schools for Tuesday 6 October. It is a normal working and school day.

The Punjab Masstransit Authority's website still lists the Metrobus from Saddar to Pak Secretariat, running 6am to 10pm at a Rs 30 fare. It showed no suspension notice when we checked at about 03:55 PKT. Its Rawalpindi helpline is (051) 111-222-627.

PTA's press release page did not load its list for us, so we could not confirm the newest notice there. In September, mobile data was cut in parts of the twin cities, as we recorded in our mobile internet suspension report. If that happens again, calls, SMS and home Wi-Fi usually keep working.

The Federal Directorate of Education's website blocked our check. We found no school closure order in any official source we could open.

Five checks before you travel today

Read the Motorway Police board again just before you leave, then call the helpline for your route. Allow extra time near the Red Zone and Faizabad.

1. Open the NHMP travel advisory and check the "Last updated" time under your road.
2. Call NHMP on 130 for motorway and GT Road questions.
3. Call Islamabad Traffic Police on 1915 for roads inside the city.
4. Leave 30 minutes early if your route passes the Red Zone, Faizabad or 26 Number Chungi.
5. Save an offline map and carry some cash in case mobile data slows down.

Driving to Peshawar today? The M-1 was clear, but the convoy is due in Peshawar this afternoon. Expect crowds on the Kohat Road side of Peshawar near Mattani, based on the reported route. Our motorway status check explains how to read the NHMP board.

Common questions

Is the M-1 motorway open on 6 October 2026?

Yes. The NHMP board showed the M-1 from Peshawar to Islamabad clear at 04:14 PKT on 6 October.

Are Islamabad roads closed today?

Police said on 5 October that no road into any area of Islamabad was closed, according to reports. Red Zone entry is limited to one or two points.

Where is the PTI march today?

It is due to move from Kohat to Peshawar on 6 October, according to reports, and reach Khairabad on 8 October.

Is the Metrobus running in Rawalpindi and Islamabad?

No suspension had been announced. The Punjab Masstransit Authority's website showed no notice at about 03:55 PKT on 6 October.

Are schools open in Islamabad on 6 October?

We found no closure order. Tuesday is a normal school day unless your school tells you otherwise.

Is the M-14 open?

Partly. Two northbound lanes between Yarik toll plaza and Abdul Khel were shut for law and order, according to the NHMP board.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked at 04:14 PKT on Tuesday 6 October 2026, when we read the NHMP travel advisory a second time. We read the Punjab Masstransit Authority website and the Foreign Office curtain raiser for the UN visit at about 03:55 to 04:00 PKT. The police statement, the containers, the march schedule and the Section 144 orders come from news reports, because the Islamabad police and traffic police accounts on X and the PTA and FDE pages could not be read by us. We will update this if roads close.