Lahore intercity bus services suspended on Sunday left passengers stranded across the city, after the administration reportedly sealed all general bus terminals late on Saturday night. Travellers arrived at the terminals to find their tickets cancelled and no buses leaving. The disruption hit routes across the country at the end of the weekend.
The suspended routes served Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, southern Punjab and other parts of central Punjab. Several passengers told reporters that their bookings were cancelled without a clear alternative. As a result, many travellers were left to arrange private transport at short notice.
Operators halt departures as Lahore intercity bus services suspended
Major private operators also stopped their services. Representatives of Faisal Movers and Daewoo told Dawn that their buses were not being dispatched. They linked the halt to reported restrictions on public transport movement on motorways and national highways.
However, the motorway police gave a different account. Spokesperson Imran Shah said the motorways and highways were open to traffic. He added that he was unaware of any directions to suspend bus services. Another motorway police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said buses were not running on the motorways or highways because of the PTI’s protest call. He added that people travelling in private vehicles could still use the roads.
Punjab Transport Department Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch was unavailable for comment. Dawn made repeated attempts to reach him on his mobile phone. No official statement from the provincial transport department had appeared by Sunday evening.
A march, a sealed province and a travel shutdown
The transport halt sits inside a wider political standoff. The PTI launched its long march on October 4 to demand the release of Imran Khan. The march has so far remained inside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the PTI was in power. On Sunday, the federal government went further and imposed emergency and governor’s rule in KP after the cabinet’s recommendation was approved.
A day earlier, containers were moved to the Swabi Interchange, where the PTI had asked its workers to gather. Containers also went to the Indus River bridge on the M-1 Motorway to block the march. Despite that deployment, the motorway and the Grand Trunk Road remained open to traffic.
The federal government says the provincial administration had stepped back from the fight against terrorism. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi defended the emergency on Sunday, saying the Centre had tried for over a month to engage the KP government. The march itself had earlier reached Swabi, where the PTI said it remained open to talks. Before Sunday’s decision, the cabinet had met to weigh emergency and governor’s rule in Islamabad.
Containers have become a familiar sight in this standoff. Earlier in the march, containers piled up at Karachi Port as freight traffic slowed. The Lahore terminal closures show the disruption now reaching ordinary passengers far from the march route.
Dawn’s report from Lahore recorded the suspension as operators and officials gave conflicting accounts of the restrictions.
For passengers, the practical advice is simple. Travellers should confirm their departure with the operator before leaving for the terminal. Services are likely to resume once the restrictions on bus movement are lifted, but no resumption time had been announced on Sunday evening.
FAQ
Why were Lahore’s intercity bus services suspended?
Operators said buses were not dispatched amid reported restrictions on public transport movement on motorways and highways. Passengers found the general bus terminals reportedly sealed when they arrived on Sunday.
Which routes were affected by the suspension?
The suspension affected services from Lahore to Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, southern Punjab and other parts of central Punjab.
Are the motorways open despite the bus suspension?
The motorway police said motorways and highways were open to traffic, and private vehicles could use them. One official said buses were not operating because of the PTI’s protest call.
