Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced on Tuesday night that normalcy is set to return to Islamabad as schools, roads, internet services, and the Metro bus system will soon resume operations.
“Schools will reopen on Thursday, while roads will be cleared by tomorrow (Wednesday),” Naqvi stated during a press briefing at D-Chowk in Islamabad. He further confirmed that internet services and the Metro bus will be operational by Wednesday morning.
When questioned about the whereabouts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, Naqvi confirmed that both individuals remain unaccounted for.
“We offered PTI the option to relocate the protest to Sangjani,” he added, explaining that Bushra Bibi, who serves as the party’s acting president, rejected Imran Khan’s instructions and insisted on pushing the protest toward D-Chowk. Naqvi emphasized that no negotiations would take place under threats and intimidation, calling out PTI for causing billions of rupees in damage. “How many more times do they plan to do this?” he questioned.
Naqvi also confirmed that legal action would be taken against all individuals responsible for the violence during the PTI protest. He mentioned that decisive measures are being taken against Afghan nationals involved in the recent unrest.
“A decision concerning Afghan residents will be announced soon,” he added. The minister also noted that media offices had been attacked, and efforts were underway to retrieve CCTV footage where damages occurred.
Earlier in the day, a major crackdown on PTI protesters unfolded in Islamabad, with law enforcement clearing key areas like Kulsoom Plaza Chowk and the Blue Area. Sources reported that all PTI workers from the main protest convoy had dispersed, while Bushra Bibi and Ali Amin Gandapur were seen leaving the Blue Area in the same vehicle.
Initially, it was believed that Bushra Bibi and Gandapur were likely to be arrested, but it later emerged that they had left their containers two hours earlier, with no contact from party leadership since then.
The operation, which involved Rangers, ATS commandos, and about 1,500 officers from Punjab and Islamabad police, led to the arrest of over 500 PTI workers. Authorities also reinstated all containers that had been removed by protesters to restore blockades on Jinnah Avenue.
