BANNU: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Bannu, has postponed the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Second Annual Examination in North Waziristan due to the security situation in the district, it emerged on Tuesday.

According to a notification issued by BISE Bannu, dated November 9, the examinations at all centres across the district were postponed at the direction of the North Waziristan deputy commissioner.

The notification stated that a revised schedule for the examinations would be announced later. Students, parents and educational institutions were advised to wait for further instructions from the board.

However, at the examination centres of Cadet College Razmak, North Waziristan, and Bakakhel Tehsil (Miranshah Road), exams will be held as per schedule.

The examination — scheduled to start on October 12 — was also postponed last month in three districts of Bannu division (Bannu, Lakki Marwat and North Waziristan) due to the law and order situation.

Meanwhile, a curfew was imposed in Mir Ali amid an ongoing security operation. The curfew will remain in force for the duration of the operation. The administration also announced that curfew restrictions will begin from Isha in Mir Ali and Bobli.

The Bannu-Miranshah Road will also remain closed to traffic during this period.

Area Representative and Development Council member Malik Rohullah Khan, in a message about the curfew, said the north general officer commanding had issued instructions following his request and allowed residents to visit markets in Miranshah and Datta Khel to purchase essential daily-use items.

He further stated that residents wishing to travel outside North Waziristan could use the Miranshah, Ishak and Razmak routes.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been facing security challenges for a long time. According to statistics released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), KP recorded 40 terrorist attacks in October, compared with 58 in September, representing a decline of 31pc. Fatalities from these attacks decreased from 90 to 38, a reduction of approximately 58pc, while 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.