Animal-laden vehicles banned on motorways ahead of Eid ul Adha

ISLAMABAD: In order to ensure public safety and maintain smooth traffic flow, the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) have imposed a ban on the entry of vehicles carrying sacrificial animals on motorways ahead of Eid ul Adha.

In a statement, NHMP spokesperson said that overloaded, unfit and improperly loaded vehicles often become the cause of traffic accidents and congestion on motorways; therefore, such vehicles will be diverted to alternative routes.

The spokesperson said that in the past, several serious accidents involving animal-laden vehicles had resulted in significant loss of life and property, prompting the authorities to adopt preventive measures this year.

The Motorway Police have also requested the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police departments to establish checkpoints near motorway entry points and cattle markets to prevent unsafe vehicles from entering the motorway network.

The spokesperson added that the decision has been taken in the interest of public safety and to facilitate commuters during the Eid travel season.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) has forecast that the new moon was likely to be sighted on May 17 (today).

A spokesperson for the country’s space agency had said that the age of the new moon at the time of sunset will be approximately 18 hours and 30 minutes, indicating conditions that are generally considered suitable for visibility in several regions of the country.

He had further noted that the new moon is expected to be born at 1:01am on the same day, providing a basis for the expected lunar progression.

On the basis of the projections, the first day of Zil Hajj is expected to fall on Monday, May 18, while Eid ul Adha is likely to be observed on May 27.