BISE Bannu postpones SSC Part-II exams in North Waziristan amid security concerns

The board says it will announce a revised examination schedule later

MIRANSHAH:

The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Bannu postponed the remaining SSC Part-II examinations in North Waziristan until further orders amid security concerns, as authorities imposed a curfew in Mir Ali during an ongoing security operation and closed the Bannu-Miranshah Road to traffic, it emerged on Tuesday.

According to a notification issued by the Bannu board on Monday, the decision was taken on the directions of the North Waziristan deputy commissioner, conveyed through a letter dated November 8.

The board said the remaining papers at all examination centres across the district had been postponed until further orders and that it would announce a revised examination schedule later. It advised students, parents and educational institutions to await further instructions.

However, the papers at Cadet College Razmak in North Waziristan and the Bakakhel tehsil examination centres along Miranshah Road were to be held according to the original schedule.

Meanwhile, authorities imposed a curfew in Mir Ali for the duration of the ongoing security operation. The administration also said that curfew restrictions would continue from Isha to Mir Ali and Bobli. 

In a message about the restrictions, area representative and development council member Malik Rohullah Khan said the GOC North had issued instructions following his request, allowing local residents to visit markets in Miranshah and Datta Khel to purchase essential daily-use items.

He added that residents wishing to travel outside North Waziristan could use the Miranshah, Isha and Razmak routes.

Read: IEDs, ammunition recovered from terrorist hideouts inside mosques in North Waziristan: ISPR

The postponement came amid intensified security operations in North Waziristan. Earlier in the day, security forces had recovered 700 kilogrammes of locally made explosives, an Al-Farooq missile, 200 kilogrammes of urea and other equipment during search and clearance operations in different areas of the district.

A day earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had said security forces recovered improvised explosive devices, explosives, weapons and ammunition from two terrorist hideouts inside mosques in Muzak village, on the southern outskirts of Mir Ali. The hideouts were allegedly being used to store explosives and operate torture cells, while a sanitisation operation was underway in the area.

On October 7, security forces killed 13 terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan, a day after five others were killed and two wounded in a separate operation. On October 1, security forces also killed three terrorists in Mir Ali and foiled an attempt to intercept a ration truck near Mir Ali Bazaar, according to security sources.