Lahore intercity buses suspended: Daewoo and Faisal Movers stop services, terminals sealed ahead of PTI march

Intercity bus services from Lahore were suspended on Sunday 11 October 2026, with Daewoo and Faisal Movers among the companies that stopped dispatching buses, after the administration reportedly sealed all general bus terminals in the city late on Saturday night, Dawn reported. Passengers said tickets were cancelled and many were left stranded at stands.

Which routes are hit

Buses were not leaving for:

• Islamabad and Rawalpindi
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Sindh
• South Punjab (Multan, Bahawalpur, DG Khan) and other parts of central Punjab

Company representatives told Dawn that buses were not being sent out because of restrictions on public transport on the motorways and national highways.

Are the roads open?

Yes, for private vehicles. A motorway police official, speaking without being named, told Dawn buses were not running on motorways or highways because of PTI's protest call, but people in their own cars could use the roads. Motorway police spokesperson Imran Shah said the motorways and highways were open and that he knew of no order to suspend bus services. The motorway and the GT Road were open on Sunday. The Punjab Transport Department's secretary could not be reached for comment, and no official has said how long the suspension will last.

Why

PTI began its march on 4 October to demand the release of Imran Khan, and has so far stayed inside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On 10 October containers were placed at the Swabi Interchange, where the party had asked workers to gather, and on the Indus River bridge on the M-1 motorway to stop the march reaching Islamabad. On Sunday the federal government also imposed emergency and governor's rule in KP and authorised army deployment there. At an emergency cabinet meeting the same day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned the march's organisers that it could push the country back into turmoil, ProPakistani reported.

If you had to travel today

• Ask for a refund or a new date from the bus company first; services were cancelled by the operators, not by passengers.
• Driving yourself? Expect checks and containers near the Islamabad and KP entry points, and avoid the M-1 towards Peshawar. Work out the petrol with our fuel cost calculator at today's petrol price: Lahore to Islamabad is about 375 km each way on the M-2.
• Trains: Pakistan Railways had not announced any suspension by Sunday afternoon, but check before leaving.

We will update this story when bus services resume.