Fact-check: Islamabad road closures contradict claim all 125 routes are open

Several major routes to Islamabad remain closed, contradicting Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry's claim on Sept. 24 that all 125 routes into the capital were open, an iVerify Pakistan fact-check found. The Islamabad road closures came ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Sept. 27 march toward the capital.

Which routes to Islamabad are closed?

The M1 Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway, the M14 Islamabad-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway and the N5 GT Road are closed until further notice, according to the National Highways and Motorway Police. Islamabad Traffic Police also announced closures on the Hazara Motorway, sections of the GT Road and other connecting roads.

What did Talal Chaudhry claim about roads to Islamabad?

Chaudhry said at a news conference that all 125 roads leading to Islamabad were open to the public. "You must have seen some WhatsApp status update, not the original situation. No road is closed. None are closed. No road was closed until this afternoon," he said.

He added: "Not a single road was closed. Until 12pm this afternoon, no road was closed, and as for the coming routes, 125 routes lead to Islamabad, how many? 125. All 125 routes are open."

Reporters at the news conference challenged the claim, citing conflicting ground realities and official notifications about motorway closures. Chaudhry rejected the assertions about blocked routes and repeated that the roads were open.

What did the fact-check find about the closures?

iVerify Pakistan investigated the claim through keyword searches and found evidence contradicting Chaudhry's statement. The National Highways and Motorway Police had announced that the M1, the M14 and the N5 GT Road would be closed from Sept. 23 until further notice.

The M1 was closed in both directions between the Islamabad Toll Plaza and Chachh Interchange. The M14 was closed between Hakla and Kundal, and the N5 was closed at Attock Khurd.

Islamabad Traffic Police also announced closures affecting the M1, M14, Hazara Motorway, sections of the GT Road and other connecting roads from 11 p.m. Sept. 23 until further notice.

What is behind the Islamabad road closures?

The restrictions came as PTI prepared for its planned Sept. 27 march to Islamabad. The party announced the protest after observing a nationwide "black day" to mark three years of party founder Imran Khan's imprisonment.

PTI has demanded the immediate release of Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, restoration of what it calls constitutional rule and democracy, and relief from inflation.

On Sept. 23, the Islamabad administration reminded residents that Section 144 was in force for two months, prohibiting gatherings, rallies and demonstrations. It also urged citizens to avoid illegal activities and cooperate with security institutions. Authorities have also erected containers and introduced other security measures around roads and entry points to the capital.

What do official traffic advisories say about motorway closures?

An Islamabad Police traffic advisory issued Sept. 22 said the M1 would remain closed to all types of traffic from 11 p.m. that night until further orders. It advised travelers from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and surrounding districts to avoid the motorway and postpone nonessential travel. The advisory said the M2 Lahore-Islamabad Motorway would remain open for all types of traffic.

The National Highways and Motorway Police later listed several sections of the M1 and N5 as closed or diverted because of the law-and-order situation. Reports on Sept. 24 also confirmed that the M1, M14 and N5 remained closed.

What did media reports say about the claim?

Express News correspondent Naeem Asghar told iVerify Pakistan that he attended Chaudhry's news conference and that reporters repeatedly questioned the minister about the road situation. He said reporters later pressed Chaudhry again about the status of the roads, but the minister left without responding.

After Chaudhry's statement, several Pakistani media outlets, including Express News, Hum News and Aaj News, continued to report that the M1 and other routes remained closed.

AFP also reported that authorities had blocked major access routes to Islamabad with double-stacked shipping containers ahead of the planned PTI protest. Its journalists observed the toll plaza for the Islamabad-Peshawar highway on the capital's outskirts blocked by barriers and containers. The agency also published photographs showing traffic diversions and road closures on the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway.

Is the claim that all 125 routes to Islamabad are open true?

No. The evidence reviewed by iVerify Pakistan shows that major routes to Islamabad were closed when Chaudhry said all 125 routes were open. The M1, M14 and N5 GT Road were among the routes officially reported as closed, while additional roads and interchanges were also affected by traffic restrictions.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry that all 125 roads leading to Islamabad were open to the public is false. Official traffic advisories and multiple reports showed that major routes, including the M1, M14 and N5 GT Road, remained closed.