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BAJAUR: Normalcy returned to Bajaur tribal district after the lifting of a 48-hour-long curfew on Wednesday, except 27 areas of Lowi and War Mamund tehsils where a ‘targeted operation’ against terrorists is under way.
All major bazaars and business centres in Khar, Inayat Kalley, Sadiqabad, Raghagan, Pashat, Haji Lawang, Yousafabad, Nawagai, Lowi Sam, Umary and Qazafi reopened in the morning after the district administration notified an end to the 48-hour curfew late on Tuesday.
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“The general public is hereby informed that major roads in the district, including Khar- Munda road, Khar-Nawagai road and Khar-Sadiqabad-Inayat Kallay roads will reopen from tomorrow [Wednesday], allowing citizens to resume their daily activities , while bazaars and trade centres along these routes will also function normally from Wednesday,” read the notification shared on the Facebook page of the deputy commissioner.
The notification came an hour after heads of trade bodies, including those from Khar and Inayat Kalley, announced on social media that they would reopen their business centres on Wednesday regardless of curbs, as they could no longer “tolerate the baseless restrictions.”
Residents protest civilian killings in mortar shelling
The lifting of the curfew restored business activities and transport services on both inter- and intra-district routes but also led to the reopening of educational institutions, which had been closed for the last two days.
However, curfew will remain in place in around 27 selective areas of both Lowi Mamund and War Mamund tehsils until August 14 due to the ongoing ‘targeted’ military offensive Operation Sarbakaf against terrorists, which entered its third consecutive day on Wednesday.
According to residents, security forces backed by gunship helicopters and artillery targeted terrorist hideouts in the areas on Wednesday.
However, loss of life on the terrorists’ side in the ongoing operation was not reported by officials on Wednesday evening. Provincial Inspector General of Police Zulfqar Hameed said it was an intelligence-based operation aimed at “eliminating terrorist threats to peace” in the region.
Meanwhile, scores of people from Lowi Mamund tehsil staged a demonstration on Wednesday against the killing of three members of a family after a mortar shell allegedly hit a house in the Erab area on Tuesday evening.
The demonstration held in the Bad-i-Siah area began after the funeral prayers of the deceased were performed. People from all walks of life, mostly youth, showed up defying the curfew.
Participants expressed grave concern over deaths in the mortar shelling, which, they said, killed a woman and two children and wounded two family members.
Bajaur Aman Jirga chief and JI local chapter emir Sahibzada Haroon Rashid, PTI local MPA Dr Hamidur Rehman, former MNA Gul Zafar Khan, Malik Khalid Khan, Najibullah Khan Mamund and JI youth wing leader Irfan Janbaz addressed the gathering and such incidents were unacceptable.
They said authorities promised to avoid the targeting of civilian population in the ongoing operation.
“We were told by authorities that it would be an operation targeting terrorists who posed a threat to peace in the region and its residents,” said a speaker.
The speakers demanded avoiding civilian casualties in the operation, lifting of the curfew and restoration of mobile phone and internet services in the region without delay.
They said that they would launch a massive protest demonstration if their demands were not met immediately.
The demonstration, which continued for a couple of hours, was also addressed by Ibrahim, the head of the affected family, who shared details of the mortar shelling.
Earlier, members of Bajaur Aman Jirga met at Bajaur Press Club Khar and condemned the killing of three people in the incident.
The participants, who also included political, religious and youth leaders, discussed the prevailing law and order situation in the district amid the ongoing operation against terrorists in several areas of Lower and Upper Mamund tehsils.
The meeting chaired by head of the jirga Sahibzada Haroon Rashid, was addressed by ANP MPA Mohammad Nisar Khan, PTI MPA Dr Hamidur Rehaman, former MNA Gul Zafar Khan, ANP president Gul Afzal Khan, religious scholar Maulana Ihsanul Haq, ANP senior leader Sheikh Janzada, PPP president Haji Sher Bahadur and PML-N president Malik Gul Kareem Khan.
The meeting was later joined by ANP provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain and a delegation of his party, who said the killing of civilians not only violated the authorities’ promise but also sparked unrest among residents.
They said that they were not against the action against terrorists as it was vital to clear the area of anti-peace elements but they were opposed to the killing of civilians.
The participants called for an investigation into the incident and said civilians should not be targeted in the future.
ANP leader Iftikhar Hussain expressed his party’s solidarity with the people of Bajaur and called for immediate halt to military action in the district and other parts of the province.
Accompanied by party provincial general secretary Hussain Shah Yousafzai, joint secretary Hamid Toofan and other leaders, Mian Iftikhar said the ANP was deeply concerned about the prevailing poor law and order situation across the province and that the peace march scheduled in Islamabad on August 23 would determine the party’s plan of action to address issues.
Later, the ANP provincial president, along with other leaders and activists, visited relief camps set up for displaced persons, including those on the Bajaur Sports Complex in Khar, and learned from inhabitants about their issues.
Senior officials of the district administration, PDMA and health department briefed visitors about the facilities being provided to displaced persons in camps.
Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2025