Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) main convoy from Peshawar, led by Bushra Bibi, the wife of Imran Khan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, reached near Federal Capital on Monday. The convoy reached Hasan Abdal via Attock. When the convoy entered the Punjab, police fired tear gas shells at the Attock Bridge, Chhich Interchange and Ghazi Barotha Canal. Police also fired tear gas at the participants of the convoy coming from Haripur, led by Opposition Leader in the National Asembly Omar Ayub, at the Attock Bridge. The participants set fire to the green belt around it and a Suzuki vehicle parked on the Ghazi Bridge. Later, police also fired tear gas when the convoy reached Taxila check post. But, the police had to retreat due to the advance of the PTI workers.

The PTI convoy led by Taimur Masood from Taxila also joined Omar Ayub's convoy at the check post. Later, Gandapur and Bushra Bibi addressed the party workers and said the protest would continue till the release of Imran Khan. Earlier on Sunday, the district administration sealed major routes to Islamabad. Key roads leading to the capital have been blocked with containers, including Srinagar Highway at Zero Point and Expressway near Khanna Pul. It may be recalled that the police had earlier said that the road leading to Islamabad airport was open. But, later they denied access to the airport and Faizabad to Islamabad routes was also cut off, leaving commuters stranded.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Waqas Akram rejected the news of conflict between Gandapur and Bushra Bibi and confirmed that the former first lady was also part of the PTI protest convoy from Peshawar, and traveling in a separate vehicle. In a post on social media website X, he wrote that the convoy, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, has already set off towards Islamabad. He added that Bushra Bibi, traveling alongside party workers, could not leave workers alone at this crucial moment. She emphasised that if PTI expected families to join the workers in the protest, then Imran Khan's family would be the first to lead by example.

According to Akram, she expressed the confidence that under Imran Khan’s leadership, the goals of the march would be successfully achieved. Additional convoys from other regions are expected to join Gandapur in Swabi, after which the combined convoys will head towards Islamabad under Gandapur's leadership. As the convoys move toward the capital, security has been heightened in Islamabad in preparation for the protest. Educational institutions in Islamabad and Rawalpindi will remain closed today (Monday) due to protests organised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The decision to close the schools and universities was made in light of the current situation, and it applied to all educational institutions in the federal capital and Rawalpindi.

According to a notification of International Islamic University, Islamabad, the institution will remain closed today. Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Murree announced that all educational institutions in the district will also remain closed today due to the ongoing circumstances. In Bahawalpur, the Islamia University has postponed exams scheduled for today and tomorrow. According to the university's spokesperson, the exams will now be held on December 2 and 3, while classes will proceed as usual today and tomorrow. Meanwhile, the traffic police in Lahore on Monday announced that all entrance and exit roads to the city are open.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan