Section 144 imposed in North Waziristan due to 'current law and order situation'
The district administration has imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure — the law regulating the maintenance of public order — in North Waziristan tribal district in view of the existing law and order situation in the area, it emerged on Monday.
An order imposing Section 144, issued by Abdul Nasir Khan, the deputy commissioner of North Waziristan, citing "public interest" and dated June 8 has taken effect for 30 days.
According to the order, the district police officer of North Waziristan reported that due to the "current law and order situation, threats of militancy and other sabotage activities are expected in the district in case of dharnas (sit-ins), protest rallies, jalsas (public meetings) and public gathering[s] of five or more persons".
In order to prevent any "untoward situation", it was imperative to impose a complete ban on dharnas, protest rallies, jalsas and public gatherings of five or more people, the order stated.
According to the DC, the order will be applicable to the entire district and anyone who fails to comply could be punished under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The order will not apply to congregational prayers in mosques and at funerals.
The imposition of Section 144 in North Waziristan comes in the wake of a series of attacks on security personnel in recent weeks that the military has blamed on terrorist elements.
On Friday (June 7), three officers and a soldier of the Pakistan Army were martyred in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in the Kharqamar area of the district.
The explosion took place less than a week after a Pakistan Army soldier was martyred in a gun-and-bomb attack on a security vehicle in North Waziristan. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had noted at the time that "terrorist activities in North Waziristan have increased lately."
The military's media wing had linked that attack with the Kharqamar check-post incident of May 26, when a clash had taken place between Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) workers and Pakistan Army troops.
Three people were killed and 15 ─ including five soldiers ─ were injured in an exchange of fire in North Waziristan's Boyya area, when the Kharqamar check-post was attacked during a protest in which PTM members were also participating.
A day after the clash, Section 144 was imposed in South Waziristan tribal district in view of public safety concerns and in order to maintain the law and order situation in the area.
Comments (31) Closed
declare all FATA an army cantonment and deal with the miscreants harshly. everything will be fine in the end.
Give them autonomy. They don't need foreign law and order keepers in their own land.
High handedness won't solve the issue....first acknowledge the mistakes made in the past to ignore waziristan and the sad plight of tribal people with no development then listen to them about their grievances and then address those problems....killing and taking away basic rights is an early sign of loosing control.....remember bangladesh? Learn from history.....
Freedom will find his own way you cannot contain
PTI failing on all fronts!
Democracy under PTI, more like a martial law.
It’s sad to see PTM is getting involved with such unconditional methods to fight for rights of local people. It is very clear that PTM’s agenda is developed and driven by foreign forces who are bend over backward to destroy peace in Wazirastan. I hope and pray that Pakistan Army will make all Pakistanis proud again by defending our land. Long live Pakistan and long live Pakistan Army.
Sad news , democracy is under threat. Right of free speech should be respected at any cost. It will be difficult for pakistan to lecture India hence forth.
When the operation was successful, why didn't the army leave that area ?
@Mark, PTI smart move.
So, what PTM was saying six months ago is now proving correct, the leader of PTM was saying clouds of terrorism are hovering on wazirstan.
Please explain to the populace what is meant by imposition of section 144 to ensure their obeying the orders without any misunderstandings.
Pak Army Zindabad, only because of your sacrifices we are using these beautiful phones & computers in our comfy bedrooms.
Who is running this country
Its time to take decisive action against the so -called "PTM" before its too late.
People's represntatives (MNAs) are in jail in North Waziristan.
@Jehengir khan, We never tried to learn from the history and on the top of it we have distorted the history
@ARIF UR RAHMAN, Yep, like they did in former East Pakistan. Clever!
@Amir Shah, And how is it 'very clear'? Kindly enlighten the rest of us.
@Pakistani “Its time to take decisive action against the so -called PTM before its too late”. - I think decisive actions have been taken many times already.
@Amir Shah, Peace in Waziristan? Have these people lost their mind, fighting against armed forces when they already had peace?
@Jehengir khan, wonderful analysis man..
@ARIF UR RAHMAN, You can not control all things every time by force. Find out the real problem and solve it with negotiation.
@ARIF UR RAHMAN, declare all FATA an army cantonment and deal with the miscreants harshly. everything will be fine in the end.
Take free advice from us. This heavy handed approach doesn't work. I am witness to that.
A swift and prudent action!
Gordon D. Walker
Canada
Confrontation does not always work out.
It is time to give freedom to North Waziristan. They don't want to be with Pakistan.
Waziristan people do not want to be ruled by converted Hindus.
good
Balochistan, KPK, North and South Waziristan, Sindh. Are they all being fuelled and funded by foreign forces? Don't bite more than you can chew. Remember 1971?
@kamal chowkidar, dream on neither do they want to be with afghanistan.