Gandapur, Bushra Bibi at KP Assembly speaker's residence, confirms PTI leader

• Omar Ayub accompanying Bushra, Gandapur: Taimur Khan.
• PTI says it will announce future strategy as per Khan's orders.
• Former ruling party claims martyrdom of eight of its workers.
  

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Pakistan Tehrkee-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi have reached KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati's residence hours after going incommunicado in the wake of government crackdown in Islamabad.

Confirming their whereabouts, Senior PTI leader Taimur Saleem Khan said that Bushra and Gandapur were also accompanied by National Assembly Opposition leader Omar Ayub.

Sources say that the duo, along with Ayub and Swati, spent the night at the Circuit House in Mansehra after fleeing the federal capital.

The development comes after Maryam Riaz Wattoo, Bushra's sister, expressed concerns over the possible abduction of the former first lady.

In a video statement, Wattoo shared her apprehensions, saying that conflicting reports have emerged about her sister’s whereabouts and remarked: "Some people claim Bushra [Bibi] has been arrested, while others suggest she has reached KP. It seems as though she has been abducted."

The video statement came after the Khan-founded party called off its "do-or-die" protest in the federal capital following a midnight crackdown by law enforcement agencies, which succeeded in dispersing the PTI workers who had reached Islamabad from various parts of the country.

"In light of the government's brutality and plans to turn the federal capital into a 'slaughterhouse' for unarmed citizens, we are announcing the temporary suspension of our peaceful protest," read the statement issued by the party's central media cell.

The former ruling party has said that it would announce the future course of action in the light of guidance from the incarcerated party founder.

It has also claimed that eight of its workers have been martyred which include Anis Shehzad Satti, Malik Mubeen Aurangzeb, Abdul Qadir, Malik Safdar Ali, Ahmed Wali, Muhammad Ilyas, and Abdul Rashid.

Expressing her worries, Wattoo added that if Bushra Bibi were indeed in KP and safe, she would have contacted her family.

She also highlighted that Bushra Bibi had clarified earlier that only the party founder holds the right to call off the ongoing sit-in, not the PTI’s political committee.

Bushra's sister also emphasised that the PTI sit-in had gained significant traction and asserted that Bushra would never abandon Khan or flee under such circumstances.

In an earlier statement, Maryam mentioned that Bushra Bibi was still in Islamabad, standing firm despite the circumstances.

Things coming back to normal

Several key roads of the country, which experienced severe commuting restrictions in due to road blocks and other preventive measures taken by the government to deter PTI workers' march, have now been opened.

All motorways have been reopened for traffic after four days, according to motorway authorities. 

The Islamabad to Lahore motorway (M-2) is now accessible, bringing relief to commuters.

Similarly, the Lahore-Sialkot motorway has also been restored for use, easing connectivity in the region.

In addition to these, motorways M-3, M-4, and M-5 have been reopened, enabling smoother transportation across various parts of the country.

The resumption of services is expected to significantly facilitate both daily travellers and long-distance commuters.

Furthermore, the life in Islamabad, which was the epicentre of the PTI protest and turned into a battleground due to clashed between the party workers and LEAs, has also started coming back to normal following days-long turmoil.