Intercity bus services from Lahore to several parts of the country were suspended on Sunday after authorities reportedly sealed the city’s general bus terminals late Saturday night, leaving passengers stranded and disrupting travel plans.
The suspension affected people travelling to Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh, southern Punjab and other areas of central Punjab. Many passengers faced difficulties as tickets were cancelled and transport companies stopped sending buses on intercity routes.
Major private transport operators, including Faisal Movers and Daewoo, also suspended their services amid reports of restrictions on public transport movement on motorways and national highways.
Representatives of both companies confirmed to Dawn that their services had been suspended and buses were not being dispatched due to the reported restrictions.
However, Motorway Police spokesperson Imran Shah told Dawn that motorways and highways remained open to traffic. He said he was unaware of any official orders directing transport companies to suspend their services.
Another motorway police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said buses were not operating on motorways or highways due to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) protest call. The official added that people travelling in private vehicles could still use the roads.
Punjab Transport Department Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
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The disruption comes as the PTI continues its march, which began on October 4, demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan. The party continued with its plans despite warnings from the federal government. According to reports, the march remained within KP, where the PTI is in power.
A day earlier, containers were moved to Swabi Interchange, where the party had called on supporters to gather, as well as to the Indus River bridge on the M-1 Motorway. The reported deployment was aimed at blocking the march.
Despite these preparations, the M-1 Motorway and Grand Trunk Road were reported to remain open to traffic.
The reported sealing of bus terminals and suspension of intercity services caused further difficulties for passengers travelling from Lahore to other parts of the country.
With transport companies halting bus departures while motorway police maintained that major routes remained open, uncertainty persisted over the extent of the restrictions and the authorities responsible for suspending the services.