Peshawar reopens roads, BRT service as authorities remove protest barriers

Authorities in Peshawar have reopened all previously closed highways and entry points on Tuesday, removed road barriers and restored the city’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service after a two-day suspension.

Officials said containers placed amid speculation over the possible imposition of Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been removed.

Barriers were also cleared from Assembly Chowk, known as the Red Zone, and the city’s entry and exit points.

Educational institutions have also resumed operations. Meanwhile, authorities removed the containers and barriers placed in Islamabad ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march on Monday.

Separately, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected social media claims about unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, describing them as fabricated and misleading.

According to the ministry’s fact-check unit, AI-generated images, old footage and unrelated videos are being circulated online to create a false impression of unrest in the province.

The ministry said videos showing factory fires, protests over electricity load-shedding and locations in other countries, including Syria, were being falsely presented as scenes from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The ministry also alleged that certain Afghan and Indian social media accounts, along with some local political accounts, were promoting the claims to create an impression of instability.

Officials said the situation in Peshawar remained under control and that monitoring was continuing to counter what they described as an organised propaganda campaign.