First Phase of Raiwind Ijtema 2026 Ends Today
The first phase of Raiwind Ijtema 2026 comes to an end today, Sunday 8 November, with the closing dua at Raiwind Markaz on the outskirts of Lahore. Thousands of worshippers who have spent the last four days at the congregation will gather for the long closing prayer this morning, after which the first phase formally concludes and participants begin their journey home.
The Raiwind Ijtema 2026 is being held in two phases this year. The first phase began on Thursday 5 November and runs until today, while the second phase will take place from Thursday 12 November to Sunday 15 November, with its own closing dua on 15 November. Each phase opens after the Asr prayer on Thursday and closes with the long closing dua on the Sunday morning, which is the moment the largest crowds gather.
Lahore Traffic Police has put a special traffic plan in place for the concluding prayer, with major roads around Raiwind closed or diverted and thousands of vehicles expected to move through the area during the morning. Drivers heading towards the south of the city have been asked to plan extra travel time and to follow the directions of traffic wardens on the ground.
One of the World’s Largest Religious Gatherings
The Raiwind Ijtema is one of the largest Muslim gatherings in the world, drawing worshippers from across Pakistan and abroad to the Raiwind Markaz, the national centre of the Tablighi Jamaat, about 45 kilometres south-west of Lahore. Since 2011 the congregation has been split into two phases so that the crowds, the traffic and the arrangements for food, water and security can be spread across two weekends instead of one.
Each phase receives a different group of districts, and participants camp on the vast site for several days of sermons and prayers. Organisers put the attendance in the millions, and the closing dua is the point at which the biggest crowd of each phase gathers at Raiwind. Pakistani television channels usually broadcast the closing dua of the Raiwind Ijtema live.
Commissioner Lahore Division Nauman Yousuf and Capital City Police Officer Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana visited the Raiwind Tablighi Markaz ahead of the gathering and reviewed the security and municipal arrangements. Teams and focal persons from all departments are present on the ground at the congregation centre round the clock, and the district administration has said the arrangements are being monitored throughout both phases.
Lahore Traffic Plan: Seven Routes, Ten Diversion Points
Lahore Traffic Police has issued a comprehensive traffic management plan for the first phase of Raiwind Ijtema 2026, setting out designated entry routes, diversion points, parking arrangements and a large deployment of traffic staff to keep vehicles moving around the venue on Raiwind Road.
Police have designated seven entry routes for participants, including Raiwind Road, Sunder Road and Manga Road among the main access roads. Authorities have also set up 10 diversion points to manage traffic and prevent congestion around the gathering venue, and drivers have been asked to follow the wardens rather than relying on old maps or past-year travel plans, since route conditions can change at short notice.
The traffic plan also gives route guidance for people coming from different cities. Participants travelling from Gujranwala via GT Road will reach Raiwind through the Kala Shah Kaku Interchange using the motorway. Those arriving from Faisalabad and Sheikhupura will use the Faizpur Interchange route, while participants coming from Okara will be directed towards the venue through the NFC Interchange, the Lahore Ring Road and Rai Road.
Parking and Police Deployment for the Closing Dua
Special parking facilities have been arranged at different locations to accommodate participants’ vehicles. The designated parking areas have space for 2,800 heavy vehicles, 5,400 cars and 10,000 motorcycles, and police have warned that wrongly parked vehicles can be lifted and can block the routes that emergency vehicles need.
To keep traffic moving, Lahore Traffic Police will deploy 1,103 officers and personnel for the event. The force includes seven DSPs, 203 inspectors and senior traffic wardens, and 866 traffic wardens and traffic assistants. Fifteen vehicle lifters and nine breakdown vehicles will also remain on duty to deal with traffic disruptions and vehicle breakdowns during the gathering.
The deployment is at its heaviest around the closing dua, when the largest number of vehicles leaves the venue at the same time. In past years, long queues of vehicles have been seen on Multan Road and Raiwind Road as participants left after the final prayer, and it has taken several hours for police to clear the roads. This year’s plan is designed to move that traffic out in an orderly way, with both lanes of the approach roads used for the exit where needed.
What Drivers Should Do Today
Anyone travelling in southern Lahore today should expect slower movement on the roads leading to Raiwind, especially in the morning around the closing dua and again as participants leave afterwards. Drivers who do not need to travel through the area should use alternative routes, and those heading to the gathering should use the designated parking areas rather than stopping on the approach roads.
Police will share live traffic updates through Rasta FM, the Rasta mobile app and social media channels, and drivers should check for updates right before leaving and again before entering the Raiwind approach roads. Vehicle papers, emergency contacts and some basic supplies should be kept ready, because the journey may take longer than usual on the busiest days.
The gathering also falls in the middle of Lahore’s smog season, when visibility on the roads leading to Raiwind can drop sharply in the early morning and late evening, so extra care is needed on the approach roads. The second phase of Raiwind Ijtema 2026 begins on Thursday 12 November and ends with its closing dua on Sunday 15 November, when the same traffic arrangements will be in force again.
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