FACT CHECK: Peshawar’s BRT Buses shifting to Punjab amid Governor’s Rule?

PESHAWAR – Several internet users are sharing unverified posts online, saying Peshawar’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses are being moved to Punjab after the imposition of Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The claims started doing rounds online after videos showing multiple buses loaded onto trailers were shared across social media platforms, including X. Several posts alleged that the buses were being taken out of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the province’s political developments on October 11.

Trans Peshawar handled responded to these claims, saying the viral footage is old and shows buses being transported to Peshawar, rather than being removed from the city.

An X account claimed that 200 buses belonging to Peshawar Metro’s BRT service had been transferred to Punjab after Governor’s Rule was imposed. Other users echoed the allegation, suggesting that the province’s public assets and mineral resources could also be moved outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

An X user named Aram Javed claimed that Peshawar’s BRT buses were being taken to Punjab, while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Faisalabad account shared the video alleging that residents were being deprived of facilities established during the PTI government. Former prime minister Imran Khan’s former special assistant Shahbaz Gill also shared a video, asking: “Who is stealing these BRT buses and taking them away?”

These posts fuelled speculation that the buses were being transferred under the cover of Governor’s Rule.

TransPeshawar, the organisation responsible for operating Peshawar’s BRT service, issued a clarification on October 14, dismissing the claims as baseless and misleading. The organisation said the video being circulated was old and dated from the period when BRT buses were being brought to Peshawar.

It urged the public not to believe unverified reports or share misleading information. The explanation contradicts the central claim attached to the viral video: that the buses were being transported out of Peshawar to Punjab.

TransPeshawar also announced that 27 additional new buses were expected to reach Peshawar during the week. According to the organisation, 52 buses purchased during the year were being added to the fleet. Of these, 25 had already arrived, while the remaining 27 were expected to reach the city.

The announcement provides further context to the controversy, although the fleet expansion figures alone do not independently establish the origin or date of every bus shown in the viral footage.

Punjab Minister for Transport and Mass Transit Bilal Akbar Khan also rejected the claim that the buses were heading to Punjab. Responding to Shahbaz Gill’s post, he said the vehicles shown in the footage were travelling to Peshawar. He added that Punjab did not need Peshawar’s buses because it already operated a large fleet of electric buses and was purchasing additional vehicles.