Three-day curfew imposed in K-P's Bajaur district for 'targeted operation'
A three-day curfew has been imposed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur district with 27 areas locked down in Mamund tehsil and roads blocked for a targeted operation, authorities said on Monday.
All residents have been asked to stay indoors, with the authorities warning that curfew violations would be at the residents' own risk, according to a notification issued by the K-P government.
The district administration said the curfew in Mamund would remain in effect from 11am on August 11 till 11am on August 14.
Earlier, according to local sources, hundreds of families left the area, seeking safety in other parts of the district and beyond.
To accommodate them, district authorities vacated 107 public schools and colleges besides setting up a camp of 450 tents at Bajaur Sports Complex.
Read: Displacement continues from Mamond amid tensions
The district administration had also ordered the removal of maize crops planted within 100 metres of the roadside.
Farmers were given a three-day ultimatum to harvest their crops, with officials citing security considerations behind the directive.
Authorities said the measures were part of precautionary steps being taken as the situation remains volatile in the region.
On Friday, a Jirga in Bajaur comprising tribal elders and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), entered the seventh round of the Bajaur Peace Jirga, which concluded without a breakthrough, as negotiations hit deadlock on a key point of contention between the two parties.
Both sides raised objections to a particular clause under discussion, resulting in a stalemate.
Speaking to the media, Peace Jirga member Sahibzada Haroonur Rasheed confirmed the deadlock and said, "Efforts are underway to resolve the impasse. The Jirga remains committed to playing its role in maintaining peace in the region".
He urged both parties to exercise restraint and patience during the ongoing process.
"We have appealed to both sides to demonstrate tolerance. They have assured us that in the event of any conflict, civilians will not be harmed," he added.
Attacks in Bajaur
Attacks in Bajaur have increased sharply in recent months with locals objecting to operations by security officials harming civilians.
In February, a policeman guarding a polio vaccination team was shot dead after unidentified gunmen opened fire on him.
The attack occurred during an anti-polio campaign when unidentified assailants indiscriminately opened fire on the on-duty officer
In June, unidentified miscreants launched a rocket attack on the house of the minister of state on tribal affairs, Mubarak Zeb Khan. This was the second attack on him.
Earlier in May, alleged terrorists blew up the main gate of his house with an improvised explosive device (IED).
Last month, a bomb blast struck the Nawagai area of Bajaur, killing at least five people and injuring 16 others, according to local officials.
The explosion occurred on Nawagai road near Sadiqabad Phatak in Khar Tehsil, targeting a government vehicle.
The deceased include Assistant Commissioner Nawagai Faisal Ismail, Tehsildar Abdul Wakeel, Constable Zahid, and a passerby, Fazal Manan. Sub-Inspector Noor Hakeem, who was critically wounded in the attack, succumbed to his injuries while being transported to Peshawar for medical treatment.
After a few days, Maulana Khan Zeb, former National Assembly candidate of the Awami National Party (ANP) from Bajaur, and two others were tragically shot dead by unidentified assailants at Shindai Mor, just a few steps from the headquarters of Khar Tehsil, K-P.