Pakistan: Authorities ban public gatherings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

ISLAMABAD: Authorities have imposed a ban on the assembly of more than five people in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after receiving reports that miscreants can attack crowded places, Dawn reported. Bannu Division is one of seven divisions in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It consists of three districts: Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and North Waziristan.

Lakki Marwat deputy commissioner Abdul Hadi and Bannu deputy commissioner Manzoor Afridi on Saturday imposed a ban on the assembly of more than five people in their respective districts for five days, Dawn reported.

Officials said that the district administration imposed the restriction after receiving reports that miscreants can attack crowded places. They said that the five-day ban, which would last until March 23 was extendable in the public interest.

The officials said that the violators of the ban will face action according to the law, as per the Dawn report. Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration on Saturday imposed Section 144 banning all types of public gatherings in the district.

The decision of the authorities comes a day before the planned political gathering of Jamaat-i-Islami in Bari on Sunday, as per the news report.

The Jamaat had announced holding a public meeting under the banner of Tehreek-i-Haqooq Qabail.

The Jamaat-i-Islami had made arrangements for the public meetings by inviting leaders of various political parties from all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with JI emir Sirajul Haq and Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan as the main speakers.

In a notification issued from the Khyber House, it was announced that Section 144 was imposed due to the current security situation in Khyber. The restriction will remain in place for six days. : Earlier on March 13, two police officials were killed while five others were injured in terrorist attacks on police personnel deployed on census duty in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Tank and Lakki Marwat districts, Dawn reported citing police and Rescue 1122.

The development comes as terrorism rears its ugly head again in the country with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa witnessing a spate of attacks targeting both security forces and citizens.

Constable Khan Nawab was killed while police constables Shah Nawaz and Aslam Khan, Levies official Bismillah, Frontier Constabulary official Abdullah and driver Eid Jan were injured in an armed attack from terrorists on a police van deployed for the security of census staff in Tank's Kot Azam area.

The injured officials retaliated and forced the attackers to retreat who later escaped from the site. Meanwhile, a fresh contingent of police arrived at the site of the attack, cordoned off the area and initiated a search operation.

In another attack, two terrorists targeted Constable Dil Jan deployed on census duty in Lakki Marwat's Parwala village near Sadar police station, as per the Dawn report. Dil Jan died on the spot and terrorists managed to escape after the incident.