A sheet studded with nails now spans the Attock Bridge, the vital link between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, as authorities brace for the PTI rally scheduled for 27 September.
The Punjab and Islamabad‑Rawalpindi police have fast‑tracked the installation of the metal‑tipped barrier on the two‑lane crossing that carries the national highway over the Indus River. Officials say the deterrent is meant to make it physically difficult for large crowds to occupy the bridge and halt traffic, a tactic adopted after earlier protests succeeded in blockading the structure and snarling movement across the region.
The protest, announced by Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf, is expected to draw thousands of supporters from across the north‑west, with many intending to converge on the bridge as a symbolic choke point. In recent months, PTI demonstrations have repeatedly targeted critical infrastructure—such as the Karakoram Highway and major railway lines—to amplify political pressure, prompting the government to reinforce security on routes that connect KP with Punjab and the twin cities of Islamabad‑Rawalpindi.
Alongside the nail‑sheet, security forces have deployed additional patrols, mobile checkpoints and traffic‑control units on the adjoining highways. The heightened presence aims to keep commercial trucks, commuter buses and emergency vehicles moving while steering demonstrators toward pre‑designated protest zones away from the bridge. Local commuters, who rely on the crossing for daily travel and trade, have been urged to expect minor delays but reassured that the measure is temporary and focused on preserving the flow of goods and passengers during the scheduled rally.