Authorities dismiss reports of deadly drone strike in North Waziristan

NW deputy commissioner urges citizens to confirm reports before sharing on social media platforms

SHAWAL:

Authorities in North Waziristan on Sunday rejected reports of a drone attack in the region causing casualties, and urged public to confirm any such development before passing it on.

In an official statement, Deputy Commissioner North Waziristan Shahid Ali Khan and district administration denied any such reports that suggested seven people had died in an attack by the unmanned aircraft in Shawal area of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s tribal district bordering Afghanistan.

They noted that the stories were being concocted through different social media platforms, but there was no substance in them.

The authorities further said that the citizens should not be tricked by misleading reports at a critical time in the country to avoid any harm.

Earlier today, there were unconfirmed reports of drone strikes in the tribal district as well as in Afghanistan.

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Simultaneously, many social media users including those seemingly reporting from the region denied any such development.

The unconfirmed reports came at a time when the country is witnessing a crucial phase in the wake of the no-trust vote against now former prime minister Imran Khan.

A day earlier, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief was voted out from power, becoming the first prime minister in the country’s history to be unseated by a parliamentary revolt.

The joint opposition's no-confidence motion, which required 172 votes in the 342-strong parliament to pass, was supported by 174 lawmakers, shaking the political earth of the country with an unprecedented ouster of the premier and seemingly bringing to an end the protracted crisis.