Motorway Police Ban Animal-Laden Vehicles Before Eidul Azha

The National Highway and Motorway Police has barred vehicles carrying sacrificial animals from entering Pakistan’s motorways ahead of Eidul Azha, introducing a major traffic and safety restriction as cattle movement intensifies across the country. The decision was announced on Sunday in Islamabad and is aimed at reducing accident risks during one of the busiest travel and livestock transport periods of the year.

According to the motorway police, vehicles transporting animals will no longer be allowed to proceed onto motorway routes if they are overloaded, unfit for travel or improperly loaded. Such vehicles will instead be redirected to alternative roads, a move officials say is necessary to protect regular commuters as well as those involved in cattle transportation.

The measure comes as cattle markets in major cities and along intercity routes witness rising activity before Eidul Azha. Buyers, traders and transporters often move bulls, cows, goats and other animals over long distances during the final days before the festival, creating additional pressure on highways, entry points and urban road networks.

In its official statement, the NHMP said poorly maintained and overloaded vehicles carrying animals have caused serious crashes in previous years, leading to loss of life, property damage and long traffic disruptions. The force said the new restriction is designed to make travel safer and smoother for families, commuters and transport operators using motorways during the Eid season.

Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have also been asked to support enforcement by setting up check posts near motorway entrances and cattle markets. These arrangements are expected to help identify animal-laden vehicles before they reach motorway access points and to guide drivers toward permitted routes.

The timing of the restriction is significant because Eid preparations are now entering a decisive phase. Pakistan’s Ruet-i-Hilal Committee is due to meet for the sighting of the Zilhaj moon, while the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission has indicated that Eidul Azha is likely to fall on May 27.

Eidul Azha traditionally brings a sharp increase in animal trade, temporary cattle markets and intercity movement. While this activity is central to the religious festival and provides income to thousands of livestock traders, it also creates recurring public safety challenges, particularly when animals are transported in open, unstable or overcrowded vehicles.

For commuters, the decision may reduce congestion and accident risk on motorways, but it could also shift traffic pressure toward alternative routes. Transporters may face longer travel times, additional fuel costs and stricter monitoring at provincial boundaries and near cattle markets as enforcement expands.

The coming days will test how effectively the motorway police and provincial law enforcement agencies implement the ban without disrupting essential livestock trade. Authorities are expected to monitor major routes closely as Eid draws nearer, while traders and buyers will need to plan transport arrangements in line with the new restrictions.