On the evening of November 23, I was informed about my duty schedule for the next day, November 24, which required me to cover the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s ‘final call’. Coverage of any rally includes a budget for fuel and provisions, but following recent PTI rallies, additional items have also become part of our supplies to avoid any difficulties along the way.
In front of me was a box containing masks, goggles, a helmet, and a bulletproof vest, along with a set of small towels to counter tear gas. Looking at all the equipment, I wondered if I was heading into battle. But I corrected my thought, realising I was not going to war but rather to cover it, and that my organisation had equipped us for our safety in line with journalistic principles. After preparing for the following day and discussing the coverage plan with the bureau chief, I headed home.
November 24 morning started off like any ordinary day, but as I left home, I informed my family that although my duty hours are typically eight hours, I anticipated that my return might be difficult, suggesting that we might not meet for two days.
At 8am, after making the first announcement for the PTI march, we reached the Peshawar Motorway Toll Plaza by 10am.
The PTI convoys were scheduled to depart from the Peshawar Toll Plaza at 11am for the “final round” aimed at the release of the party’s founder. But the PTI leadership was delayed, allowing a significant number of workers to continue moving forward with the convoys.
As we arrived at the Charsadda Interchange via the motorway, we found one convoy already waiting for the main group. We also spotted the Mardan convoy, and further ahead, the Nowshera convoy was visible at the Wali Interchange. By now, as evening approached, various convoys began gathering at the Swabi Rest Area.
Members of the National Assembly, including Atif Khan, Asad Qaiser, and Shahram Tarakai, addressed the workers briefly from the main container. Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur made an appearance with his protocol and boarded the central container amidst cheers from party workers.
In his brief address, Gandapur stressed the need for unity and reaching their destination at the D-Chowk. He urged the workers to get back into their vehicles and move forward as the central container set off towards Islamabad.
I observed the disregard for the directive issued by Bushra Bibi, the wife of the PTI founder, who had instructed members of the National and provincial assemblies to bring 5,000 to 10,000 workers from their constituencies. The reality on the ground, however, reflected a different scenario.
By late night, the PTI faced its first major obstacle from the Punjab Police at the Ghazi Brotha Bridge, where the provincial government had set up containers to block the road. As the workers attempted to advance, they were met with tear gas shelling from the other side, causing them to retreat. It is important to note that the leadership was lagging far behind while the workers bore the brunt of the shelling and resistance, facing the situation unprepared. The promised heavy machinery to clear the path from the provincial government was nowhere in sight.
The standoff between PTI and the Punjab Police continued for nearly five hours at the Ghazi Brotha Bridge. After a prolonged struggle, the PTI workers succeeded in pushing back the Punjab Police. Following this victory, the workers began to remove the containers by tying ropes to large 22-wheeler trucks already present at the location.
But another barrier awaited them at the Motorway near the Patthar Nagar area, where the Punjab government had again set up obstacles. This led to yet another round of confrontation as the workers prepared to tackle the new challenge.
That night, wearing protective gear and reporting amid intense shelling, it became increasingly difficult to bear the weight of the several-kilogramme bulletproof vest. The helmet, designed to protect against rubber bullets, added to the discomfort. Although this wasn’t my first experience covering such situations as a war reporter, enduring a night of shelling, fatigue, and relying on light snacks while surrounded by demonstrators posed a significant challenge. Such protesters could become a threat at any moment, making the situation both difficult and dangerous.
By the November 25 morning, around 4am, the containers blocking the road were removed. KP CM Gandapur approached the workers and urged them to move forward.
That night, it was evident that PTI workers were determined not to leave Gandapur alone. He was consistently seen surrounded by workers, who were vocally expressing their concerns that he might “disappear” again. This atmosphere of distrust and tension was palpable as the PTI protest caravan moved forward from Patthar Nagar.
At the Hazarah Interchange, another convoy led by Omar Ayub, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, arrived from the Hazara Division via the motorway. But it faced significant challenges in overcoming obstacles. In response, Gandapur, accompanied by hundreds of his workers, rushed to assist the Hazara Division convoy. He succeeded in removing the barriers, allowing them to join the main procession.
Once again, the convoy set off towards its destination, but this time they encountered a Punjab Police van that had fallen into the hands of PTI workers. The situation escalated quickly, with some smashing windows while others shouted slogans in defiance. The main convoy moved at a slow pace, eventually reaching Katti Pahari. Without waiting for the main group, the workers pressed ahead and, surprisingly, managed to push the police back in just over an hour. The PTI workers protested against the Punjab Police and the federal government.
In the Katti Pahari area, PTI activists managed to apprehend four Punjab Police officers, subjecting them to physical confrontations with slaps, punches, and kicks. KP Chief Minister Gandapur intervened to rescue the officers from the agitated workers. This location was notably where PTI activists had previously subjected a team from the private media house (Neo News) to severe violence.
Moreover, protest participants were equipped with masks, goggles, sticks, stones, slingshots, and even catapults for protection against shelling. In the Katti Pahari area, we observed PTI workers removing licence plates from their vehicles. We spotted PTI leader Sanam Javed emerging from a car’s sunroof, where she was seen recording videos.
As the convoy continued, the last minor obstacle appeared at the Barahma Bahatar Jhang Interchange, which the workers cleared in just half an hour. We also saw Mushaal Yousafzai, the spokesperson for Bushra Bibi, taking selfies from the roof of a vehicle.
Surprisingly, there were no further obstacles from this point to the Islamabad Toll Plaza and the speed of the main convoy had significantly increased. It was at this moment that nearly every participant in the protest was expressing confidence that the federal government had been defeated, declaring that “nothing could stop them from reaching Islamabad” to secure the release of the PTI founder from jail.
As the November 25 evening unfolded, there was a sense that we might have to spend another night on the motorway, similar to the previous night. But all predictions were overturned when the PTI convoy reached the Hakla Interchange, where a large group from the southern districts, led by Gandapur’s brother, Dera Ismail Khan Mayor Umar Amin Gandapur, had already arrived. With this addition, the number of workers had more than doubled compared to the previous day’s convoy.
We arrived early at the Islamabad Toll Plaza to cover the main convoy, but surprisingly, many workers had already entered Islamabad and were steadily moving forward. The main convoy, however, took several hours to reach the Islamabad Toll Plaza. Just a short distance before the toll plaza, the central container halted, and KP CM Gandapur stepped out of his vehicle to board the container.
While leading the significant PTI protest convoy into the Islamabad area, he announced over a loudspeaker for the workers to wait briefly for further instructions from the leadership. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, as the movement gained momentum towards its goal.
These are the facts we observed from the beginning of the final call protest movement to our arrival at the Islamabad Toll Plaza, which I have now presented to you in words. What transpired in Islamabad remains uncertain, known only to Allah or perhaps the journalists there as we returned to Peshawar shortly after the convoy entered Islamabad.
During this two-day journey, we endured numerous taunts from PTI workers who accused the media of failing to portray the truth. Many activists would approach our DSNG, striking it with sticks while others kicked it as they passed by. Some threatened serious consequences for not airing the PTI rally on television. In an effort to protect myself and my team from violence, I often found myself agreeing silently with their grievances.
Thus, after a gruelling 38 hours of challenging coverage filled with helplessness and anxiety, we finally returned to Peshawar.
