This urgent public service message is being shared from the Hakla rest area on the Peshawar-Islamabad motorway. On February 19, 2025, at 20:30 hours, on my way back from Abbottabad, I pulled over in a deserted area near Sanjani to grab a glass of water. Hardly had I taken a sip when, to my surprise, a motorway police patrol, led by the dutiful DSP Ayub Khan, immediately sent his Head Constable to investigate why I had stopped in an unsafe area, which is vulnerable to armed robberies.
The robbers continue to trap potential victims through a quick ambush, preceded by a stone being thrown at the unsuspecting motorist’s vehicle, which prompts them to pull over to assess the damage. The robbers then haul them up and loot their valuables, putting the dutiful motorway police on high alert, even patrolling areas beyond the fence on motorbikes.
This public service message should be circulated immediately amongst all groups, warning drivers who use the motorways at night to avoid parking in deserted areas under no circumstances, unless the car engine gives up. In that situation, they must immediately dial the Motorway Emergency Number 130 to share their location and receive immediate assistance.
Meanwhile, I would appreciate it if the Interior Minister could acknowledge the performance of the motorway police field staff, who are doing more service to the nation and ensuring their safety than those playing cricket, who currently occupy the multi- tasking Interior Minister’s primary attention and focus . It would be highly desirable if the motorway motorcycle patrols outside the safety fence were equipped with night vision goggles, which would make their lives easier in detecting suspicious activity in the close vicinity of this sensitive installation.
Today, it’s armed robberies; tomorrow, it could be a planned terrorist attack on high-ranking government officials or security forces convoys plying on this strategic road.
