Islamabad Roads Before the 4 October March: Motorways Open, Containers Stay

All motorways into Islamabad were open early on Saturday 3 October 2026, the day before PTI's planned march. The Motorway Police travel board showed the M-1, the M-14 and the GT Road from Peshawar clear at 04:02 PKT. Containers are still reported at Faizabad, 26 Number Chungi, T-Chowk and Margalla Avenue.

No official road closure plan for 4 October had been published when we checked. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) plans to start its march on Sunday 4 October from Lakki Marwat in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to reports. That is several hours by road from Islamabad.

The government and PTI are due to hold a second round of talks at 2pm today, the state broadcaster reported after the first round of government and PTI talks on Friday. What happens to the roads may depend on that meeting. Here is what we could check at source, and what is only reported.

Motorways into Islamabad were open at 04:02 PKT on 3 October

The M-1, M-14, M-2, E-35 and GT Road into Islamabad were all open when we read the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) board at 04:02 PKT on Saturday. Only routine road work lane closures were listed. No closure for law and order was shown on any road near the capital.

This is a big change from a week ago. Before the earlier march date of 27 September, the same board showed the M-1 and M-14 closed both ways "due to Law & Order Situation". We recorded those Islamabad road closures on 27 September as they happened. The M-1 and the GT Road reopened on 28 September.

An open road at 4am is not a promise for Sunday. Last time, the same roads stayed shut for several days.

Containers are still reported at four main entry points

Containers placed before the 27 September date were standing at Faizabad, 26 Number Chungi, T-Chowk and Margalla Avenue on that day, according to reports, with traffic diverted at some points. A report on 2 October said they were still up. We found no official list.

These are the points named in reports, and why each matters:

• Faizabad: where Murree Road meets the Islamabad Expressway. It is the main link between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
• 26 Number Chungi: the western entry from the M-1 and the airport side.
• T-Chowk: at Rawat, on the GT Road from Rawalpindi and Punjab.
• Margalla Avenue: the road along the foot of the Margalla Hills.
• Red Zone approaches: barricades around Parliament, the Supreme Court and government offices.

Transport associations and officials put the number of containers held across Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at between 1,500 and 2,000, according to a report on 2 October. That number is an estimate, not an official count.

The march is set to start far from Islamabad on Sunday

PTI plans to start its march at 1pm on Sunday 4 October from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, according to reports. The reported schedule has stops in Karak on 4 October and Kohat on 5 October, then Peshawar on 6 October. No date for reaching Islamabad has been given.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is expected to lead it, the same reports say. PTI has not published the schedule on an official page we could find, so treat every date here as reported.

The government has asked PTI to delay or call off the march, according to reports of Friday's talks. PTI's chairman said it would go ahead. Today's 2pm round could change either position. We are not guessing the outcome.

Metro bus, mobile service and schools have no closure notice

No official notice suspends the Rawalpindi Islamabad Metrobus, mobile internet or schools for 4 October. PTA's newest press release is dated 29 September and is about network benchmarking. Sunday 4 October is a weekend day, so schools are closed anyway.

The Punjab Masstransit Authority's website still lists the Metrobus route from Saddar to Pak Secretariat at a Rs 30 fare, with no suspension notice. In past marches the Metrobus was stopped at short notice, so check before you rely on it.

The PTA press release page had nothing about any mobile service cut when we read it at about 04:10 PKT. If service does slow down, calls, SMS and home Wi-Fi usually keep working during a mobile internet cut.

Islamabad's Section 144 ban on gatherings was reported to run for two months from 18 September. It bans rallies and groups of five or more, not ordinary driving.

Plan your trip with these five checks

Check the Motorway Police board again on the morning you travel, then call the helpline for your route. Allow extra time at Faizabad and Srinagar Highway, and keep the GT Road as your fallback if a motorway shuts.

1. Open the NHMP travel advisory and read 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 at least 30 minutes early if you must pass Faizabad, 26 Number Chungi or T-Chowk.
5. Save an offline map and carry some cash in case mobile data slows down.

Flying from Islamabad airport? The Srinagar Highway route passes 26 Number Chungi, and the M-1 toll plaza was shut last time. Leave early and keep your airline's number handy.

Travelling from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday? The march is due to move through Karak and Kohat, so expect crowds on the Indus Highway side, not on the M-1. That is based on the reported schedule only.

Common questions

Is the M-1 motorway open on 3 October 2026?

Yes. The NHMP board showed the M-1 from Peshawar to Islamabad clear at 04:02 PKT on 3 October.

Are containers still on Islamabad roads?

Yes, according to reports. Faizabad, 26 Number Chungi, T-Chowk and Margalla Avenue are the main points named. No official list has been published.

Where does the PTI march start on 4 October?

At Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat at 1pm, according to reports, with stops in Karak and Kohat before Peshawar on 6 October.

Is the Metrobus running in Islamabad?

No suspension has been announced. The Punjab Masstransit Authority's website showed no notice when we checked early on 3 October.

Will mobile internet be suspended on 4 October?

No order has been published. PTA had posted nothing about a suspension when we checked.

Which number do I call for Islamabad traffic?

Call 1915 for Islamabad Traffic Police and 130 for the Motorway Police.

How we verified this

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

Last checked at 04:02 PKT on Saturday 3 October 2026, when we read the NHMP travel advisory, followed by the PTA press release list and the Punjab Masstransit Authority website at about 04:10 PKT, and the Islamabad Police website for the 1915 helpline. The container points, the container count, the march schedule and the positions taken in the talks come from news reports, because we found none of them on an official website. We will update this if roads close before or during the march.