The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has imposed an “immediate and complete ban” on outdoor drone-flying across the province.

The ban, however, does not apply to the use of small drones for the coverage of indoor activities, such as in halls or marquees, and the use of drones by intelligence and law enforcement agencies (LEAs), the provincial home department’s notification detailing the decision says.

The ban will remain in place for 30 days.

The notification refers to recent border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, further stating:“A resort has been made to undertake remote attacks with the help of quadcopters/ unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on various government buildings and installations, especially in the southern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

“In the prevailing circumstances, any activity (regulated or otherwise) vis-a-vis drones including quadcopters and UAVs will pose a direct and/ or indirect threat and is a potential risk to the lives and properties of citizens (inluding public safety and security) as well as infrastructure of government, and maintenance of public order,” the notification says, adding that a ban on outdoor drone-flying is being imposed for 30 days.