Indefinite curfew imposed across Mohmand Agency following terror threats

SHABQADAR: The political administration has clamped a curfew in Mohmand Agency, one of the seven quasi districts that make up the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), citing potential security threats.

“After the recent incidents of violence which included improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and more recently the killing of nine Khasadar officials on last Friday, a curfew has been clamped in the agency,” a senior political administration official told The Express Tribune on Monday.



A local teacher from a government-run school said on the condition of anonymity that they had been told by the authorities not to sit in groups within t school premises. “We have even been asked to keep a watchful eye on the school's non-teaching staff last week,” he added.

All education institutions, hospitals and local and government buildings remained shut throughout the day.

Meanwhile, officials of the political administration upheld that the reason behind the curfew was to maintain law and order in the area. The officials said the curfew will remain imposed for an indefinite period of time.

The connecting road from Ekkaghund till Mamad Gat also remained closed for all sorts of traffic with commuters advised to use the alternate route from Lower Dir for travelling.



In 2009, operation Brekhna was launched in the Agency and by 2011 the tribes people were asked to repatriate. While Mohmand remains a denotified area and official stats do not show any IDP's from the area, there are hundreds of families that have not gone back to the area and remain outside the Agency owing to the precarious law and order situation prevailing in the area.