Most districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were calm on Monday, the second day after emergency and governor's rule were imposed. In that arrangement, the province is administered through the governor. Police still blocked the approaches to Peshawar Cantonment and detained people gathered for a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest. Some areas still had diversions and closed schools, while markets and daily routines continued elsewhere.
Roads and phones in Peshawar
Officers remained on Peshawar's roads, in greater numbers at the cantonment, and at places they stood ready with batons. Every way in and out of the cantonment stayed shut, with police in the surrounding streets. Vehicles could not enter Khyber Road and were sent towards Khyber Bazaar, Ramdas and Bhana Marhi Chungi. The approaches to Saddar from Warsak and Shami Road were blocked, along with University Road near Tehkal, the GT Road mouth at Pir Zakori Bridge, Firdous Chowk, Railway Road towards Shoba Bazaar and Dabgari Garden, and Sher Shah Suri Road.
Roads linking Peshawar with Khyber, Kohat and Nowshera were clear. To reach the cantonment from the city, drivers had to follow the City Circular Road, then a Kohat Road detour to FC Chowk. A rickshaw driver said he turned back halfway once he found the Warsak and Shami Road routes into Saddar closed by containers. Kohat Road, Charsadda Road and GT Road were otherwise flowing, although GT Road was almost empty beside the shut Pir Zakori Bridge entrance.
The City Circular Road is normally jammed and is currently dug up for construction, yet it was quiet, a sign that many residents had remained indoors. Mobile and internet connections in Peshawar were back in full.
Arrests, exams and quieter districts
About 140 workers were detained in Swabi after gathering at Ismailia Interchange and Razaar Sports Complex, where a march led by Sohail Afridi was supposed to arrive. Police stood at Karnal Sher Khan Chowk in the district headquarters, in Topi tehsil, at Swabi Interchange and at Shewa Adda in Razaar tehsil. Containers were placed at Swabi Interchange, Jahangira Bridge and the Indus River Bridge on the motorway.
PTI had asked supporters from across the province to assemble at Swabi Interchange for the march. Phone and internet services there stayed cut for a second day.
Police arrested 15 PTI workers in Charsadda, and vans moved through Charsadda Bazaar. In Shangla, more than 24 PTI workers were held and raids were continuing. Officers have been told to patrol main roads more heavily and to run strict snap checks at all entries and exits. Shangla's bazaars stayed open and residents kept to their routines.
In Khyber, a morning protest by some PTI workers in Bara was broken up. The district then remained quiet, with every road open, including the Peshawar-Torkham Highway. Mohmand police covered entry and exit points and main checkpoints.
Mardan kept all government and private institutions shut and cancelled the day's exams and papers. Bannu's Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education put off Secondary School Certificate exams and the second annual exams because of the law and order situation, with new dates to follow. Dera Ismail Khan's board delayed SSC exams in step with other boards in the province, and Lakki Marwat's divisional board did the same for the annual SSC papers. Mohmand's public and private schools and colleges were closed, yet board and university exams went ahead on their existing timetable.
Bannu's traffic and daily life were largely normal. In Wana, Rustam Bazaar and other markets stayed open, with no major protest, trade stoppage or arrests reported. Tank's administration barred pillion riding, meaning a second person on the same motorcycle, from Oct 10 to Nov 9.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Oct 10: Tank's one-month ban on pillion riding began. It lasts until Nov 9.
- The day before Monday: An emergency and governor's rule were imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Monday: Cantonment routes in Peshawar stayed closed and phone service there was restored, while about 140 workers were detained in Swabi, where phones and internet remained off.
- Monday: Police arrested 15 PTI workers in Charsadda and held more than 24 in Shangla. SSC exams were postponed in Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat, and schools stayed shut in Mardan and Mohmand.
Aasan alfaaz mein
KP mein emergency aur governor's rule ka doosra din tha, aur zyada tar ilaqe pur-sukoon rahe. Peshawar Cantonment ki sarken band thin, is liye logon ko Saddar ke liye lamba raasta lena para. Swabi mein qareeb 140 log giraftar hue, aur wahan mobile aur internet ab bhi band hai. Kai zilon mein school band rahe aur matric ke imtihan aage ki tareekh par kar diye gaye.
