Islamabad police announce route diversion plan for December 26

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police have issued a traffic advisory and route diversion plan ahead of the upcoming visit of the president of the United Arab Emirates to Pakistan.

According to the police spokesperson, on December 26, diversions will be in place on the Islamabad Express Highway, Murree Road, Police Lines Road, Faisal Avenue and Club Road from 11am to 3pm due to a special programme.

Motorists travelling from Rawat to the Islamabad Express Highway have been advised to use the Rawalpindi-Peshawar Road instead. Those coming from IJ Principal Road or Srinagar Highway towards the Islamabad Express Highway have been asked to use the service roads within the city.

Commuters have been advised to allow an extra 20 to 25 minutes for travel during these hours.

Police have placed a ban on all heavy traffic in the city on Friday. According to the police spokesperson, entry of all heavy vehicles into Islamabad will remain prohibited from 6:00 am to 12:30 am.

Islamabad Traffic Police personnel will be deployed on the roads to facilitate smooth traffic movement. For assistance, citizens can contact the traffic helpline at 1915 or dial 15.

Earlier, Islamabad authorities issued a fresh notification declaring a local holiday in the federal capital on December 26, following confusion caused by two earlier notifications on the same matter.

According to the latest notification, all federal government offices in Islamabad will remain closed on Friday. The government has officially withdrawn the previous explanatory notification and replaced it with the new directive, making this the third notification issued regarding the holiday.

Earlier, the first notification had announced a holiday, while a second notification later described it as a partial holiday, leading to uncertainty among government employees and the public.

The latest clarification stated that despite the closure of federal offices, essential and service-related departments will continue to function. These include hospitals, banks, essential services offices, the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), and the Capital Development Authority (CDA).