Matric Exams Postponed in North Waziristan
The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Bannu, has postponed the Secondary School Certificate Second Annual Examination in North Waziristan. The decision was taken due to the security situation in the area.
Curfew Imposed in Mir Ali
A curfew has also been imposed in the Mir Ali area of the district. The BISE announced the postponement in a press release on Nov 9. This was done following instructions from the North Waziristan deputy commissioner.
A revised schedule for the examinations will be announced later. However, exams at centres set up at Cadet College Razmak and in Bakakhel tehsil will be held as per schedule.
Second Postponement of Exams
This is the second time these exams have been postponed in North Waziristan. The exams were scheduled to start on October 12. They were initially postponed last month in North Waziristan, Bannu, and Lakki Marwat.
Road Closure and Travel Routes
The district administration said a curfew was imposed in areas from Bobali and Mir Ali up to Isha. The curfew will remain in place until the ongoing security operation in these areas is completed.
The Bannu-Miranshah Road will remain closed for traffic during this period.
Malik Rohullah Khan, an Area Representative and Development Council member, said the general officer commanding north issued instructions for the curfew. He added that residents were allowed to visit markets in Miranshah and Datta Khel to buy essential daily-use items on his request.
He further stated that residents who wish to travel outside North Waziristan can use the Miranshah, Isha, and Razmak routes.
Security Situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including North Waziristan, has been facing security challenges for a long time.
Security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Muzak village, on the southern outskirts of Mir Ali on Monday. The military's media wing said two terrorist hideouts were neutralised.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, security forces recovered a huge cache of prepared improvised explosive devices, explosive preparation material, weapons, and ammunition from hideouts established inside mosques.
On Oct 8, state media reported that troops had killed nine terrorists in another intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan.
Decline in Terrorist Attacks
According to statistics released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, KP recorded 40 terrorist attacks in October, compared with 58 in September. This represents a decline of 31pc.
Fatalities from these attacks decreased from 90 to 38, a reduction of approximately 58pc. Injuries fell from 165 to 19, an improvement of 88pc.
As per the report, the erstwhile Fata region experienced a comparatively modest decline in terrorist violence. The think tank recorded 30 attacks during October, compared with 34 in September, a reduction of 12pc.
Source: dawn