Pakistan highways to northwest blocked as ex-PM Khan’s supporters protest

Major highways linking Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with Punjab remain blocked for a fourth straight day as supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan stage sit-ins, citing concerns over his health, officials and witnesses said on Monday.

The protests, led by Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have disrupted transport and trade on key national routes, stranding commuters and prompting legal challenges over the closures.

Protest locations

Ikram Khatana, a provincial deputy spokesperson for PTI, said the party announced the sit-ins on Friday after reports circulated that Khan had suffered severe vision loss in his right eye, a claim later addressed in medical briefings.

He said demonstrations were under way at more than seven locations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

Affected routes include sections of the motorway near Swabi, Bhakkar Road in Dera Ismail Khan, roads in Lakki Marwat and Mianwali, the Hazara Motorway, the Haveli Interchange in Abbottabad, Kohat Road near Khushal Garh, Yark Toll Plaza, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) interchange in Upper Kohistan, the Karakoram Highway leading toward Gilgit, and the Khairabad Bridge on the Grand Trunk Road in Attock.

Travel disruption

Public transport across much of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has ground to a halt, with bus services suspended and passengers stranded at terminals.

“I’m still at the bus stand. The motorway and the GT Road are both closed,” said Akhtar Ayub, a commuter trying to reach Islamabad. “Drivers are refusing to travel because of fears vehicles could be attacked.”

Imran Khan’s supporters stage sit-in at Khairabad Bridge in Attock on Monday.Nukta

Mehboob Ahmed, a government employee posted in Islamabad, said the closures had left him unable to return to Peshawar after the weekend. “We’re stuck waiting for the roads to reopen. It’s extremely stressful,” he said.

Adnan Khan, a driver at the Haji Camp bus terminal, said local residents were bearing the brunt of the disruption. “These protests are political, but ordinary people are the ones suffering,” he said.

What comes next

Khatana said PTI had blocked all major entry and exit points in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and would keep them closed until Khan receives what the party describes as comprehensive medical care from his personal physician.

He added that ambulances and local residents were being allowed to pass, insisting the protests were not aimed at inconveniencing the public. “Khan’s health is a fundamental constitutional right,” he said.

The office of the provincial chief minister said a parliamentary committee meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, was under way in Islamabad to review the situation and discuss next steps.

PTI supporters maintain sit-ins

At protest sites across the province, PTI leaders and lawmakers have made intermittent appearances as supporters chant slogans in Khan’s support.

Shah Zaib, a PTI worker at the Swabi sit-in, said demonstrators would remain on the roads until they were reassured by Khan’s family and doctors. “This is about his health, not politics,” he said.

Another protester, Qadeer Khan, said some party leaders had urged demonstrators to disperse, but participants rejected the calls. “We are here by choice and will stay as long as needed,” he said.

Legal challenge over road closures

Separately, provincial lawmaker Sobia Shahid from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court seeking the reopening of blocked highways and motorways.

The petition argues that the sit-ins are causing severe hardship to the public and unlawfully restricting freedom of movement, and asks the court to declare the roadblocks illegal and order their immediate removal.