Wheel-jam shuts some roads in Peshawar, but businesses stay open in many districts
PESHAWAR:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday observed a province-wide wheel-jam and shutter-down strike across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including the capital Peshawar, to protest alleged rigging in the February 8, 2024, general elections. The strike produced a mixture of large-scale mobilisation in some urban centres and limited disruption in others, with business activity continuing in many areas.
In the provincial capital, PTI workers staged protests and enforced stoppages on several major roads and highways. Public transport services were suspended in parts of the city, although the government-run Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service remained operational. Taxi services were also reported to be functional in various areas.
Despite the strike call, commercial activity continued in several parts of Peshawar. Shops remained open in some markets, while food outlets and essential commodity stores operated in selected localities.
The Food Street at Fawara Chowk in Peshawar Cantonment was reported to be fully active, and most shops along University Road also remained open.
PTI Deputy Information Secretary Ikram Khatana said the party was observing a complete strike in all districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and organising district-level protest rallies.
In Peshawar, a foot march was scheduled from Hashtnagri to Chowk Yadgar, with participation from district leadership, party workers and members of the trader community. The march was to be led by PTI K-P President Junaid Akbar, who, along with other senior leaders, was expected to address workers upon reaching Chowk Yadgar.
Similar protest demonstrations were planned across the province, to be led by PTI MNAs and MPAs in their respective constituencies.
The strike’s effect was uneven outside the capital. In Swabi, all markets, shopping centres and commercial hubs remained open despite the shutter-down call, and traffic flowed normally throughout the district. Lower Dir likewise reported business centres operating as usual and public transport services running on schedule.
In Charsadda, shops and markets across the district remained open with no notable traffic disruption; PTI announced a protest demonstration at Farooq-e-Azam Chowk at 3:00pm. Authorities in Charsadda confirmed a police deployment of roughly 4,200 personnel to maintain law and order.
The provincial action took place against a wider national backdrop in which PTI and allied opposition parties reaffirmed their resolve to press ahead with countrywide protests and strikes, describing February 8 as both a “Black Day” and a “Day of Mourning”.
The administration moved to tighten security, imposed Section 144 in parts of Islamabad and launched measures intended to curb mobilisation. At the same time, several opposition figures condemned a recent deadly blast in Islamabad and urged peaceful demonstrations and restraint.
As tensions simmer in K-P, the administration in neighboring Punjab has moved to block any potential spillover of the protests. The Deputy Commissioner of Rawalpindi, Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema, has imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure across the district for 15 days, effective from February 7 to February 21, 2026.
An official notification issued by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi on February 7, 2026, imposing Section 144 across the district for 15 days to prohibit all rallies, protests, and gatherings of five or more people.
The order cites intelligence reports from the District Intelligence Committee (DIC) regarding an “imminent threat” and the mobilisation of certain groups intending to disturb law and order near sensitive installations and prominent roads. Under the ban, all kinds of assemblies, gatherings, rallies, and demonstrations involving five or more persons are strictly prohibited.
The Rawalpindi administration has also banned the carrying of weapons, the use of loudspeakers, pillion riding, and any attempt to remove police restrictions on movement.
Read: PTI, opp bloc stand firm as govt moves to deter strike
Opposition leaders at a joint news conference yesterday criticised the government’s handling of security and called for accountability; they also appealed to the public to observe the day calmly and remain indoors where possible. Senior opposition figures, including PTI and TTAP representatives, framed the protests as a response to what they described as failures in governance and security.
Law-enforcement agencies remained on alert in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, with contingency plans in place to manage rallies and protect public safety. There were no immediate reports of major, coordinated violence in the province during the day, and local officials described the overall situation as largely under control while monitoring developments.
PTI leaders said demonstrations would continue in the coming days and that district and provincial leadership would supervise further protest activity. Local traders’ associations and civic groups offered mixed responses to the strike call, with some expressing support for the party’s demands for accountability and others urging the resumption of normal commercial activity.
– With additional input from Saleh Mughal in Rawalpindi
