ISLAMABAD: The National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) has banned the entry of vehicles transporting livestock onto motorways ahead of Eidul Azha, citing safety concerns and the risk of accidents caused by overloaded transport units.
In a statement issued on Sunday, an NHMP spokesman said vehicles carrying animals had been involved in several serious accidents in the past, resulting in significant human and financial losses. He said overloaded and poorly maintained vehicles transporting livestock were among the major causes of traffic accidents and congestion on the motorway network during the Eid season. He said the restriction had been imposed as a preventive measure to ensure the safety of commuters travelling on national highways and motorways during the upcoming holidays.
According to the NHMP, vehicles carrying animals will instead be diverted to alternative routes. The motorway police also said that the police departments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been requested to establish checkpoints near motorway entry points and livestock markets to enforce the restrictions and regulate traffic flow.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026