BAJAUR: The authorities on Saturday sealed several shops in different bazaars of Bajaur district for possessing fertiliser as its trade, storage and transportation has been banned in the district until August 25 for security reasons.

According to an official statement, the outlets in Inayat Kallay, Pashat and Raghagan bazaars were sealed during action conducted by two separate teams of the district administration and the local agriculture department.

The teams found scores of bags of fertiliser there in violation of the ban imposed by the district administration on July 27, it said.

The statement issued by the deputy commissioner’s office stated the raiding teams, headed by Khar Sub-Division assistant commissioner Amirullah Khan Wazir and additional assistant commissioner Asadullah Khan, inspected dozens of suspected shops in the three major bazaars where they found dozens of bags of fertiliser concealed in secret places beneath other stocks of commodities.

The inspection teams, accompanied by police personnel, also seized the unlawfully stored fertiliser before sealing the outlets. However, the authorities did not mention the exact quantity of fertiliser seized in their statement.

According to the statement, the seized fertilizer was later shifted by officials of the agriculture department to its stores. The sealed outlets will remain closed for an unspecified period.

The district administration had imposed a 30-day ban on the trade, storage and transportation of fertiliser across Bajaur on July 28 for security reasons.

A notification issued by Bajaur deputy commissioner Adnan Farid said the restriction was imposed on the directives of the Home and Tribal Affairs Department to strengthen public safety and maintain law and order in the district.

“Credible security concerns exist that fertiliser may be diverted and misused in the preparation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other unlawful activities. Its unrestricted sale, purchase, transportation and possession may create circumstances prejudicial to public safety, security and maintenance of public order, necessitating immediate regulation in the larger public interest,” it said.

The ban, imposed under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, cites concerns that fertiliser is used by terrorists in making IEDs, will remain in force until August 25.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2026