ISLAMABAD: The district administration on Tuesday imposed a ban on use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, in the city for a period of two months, sources told Dawn.

According to a notification issued from the office of district magistrate, “it has been informed that certain segments of the public operate UAVs in Islamabad which pose a unique threat to the precarious security situation of the Islamabad Capital Territory.”

These UAVs can be used by miscreants to conduct terrorist acts in areas that have been secured and safeguarded against ground attacks, it added.

Any possible terrorist attack would jeopardise security of the residents of the capital and sensitive installations that would create law and order situation and threaten public peace at large, the notification stated, adding that the district magistrate has prohibited flying and operating UAVs in Islamabad by anyone except for law enforcement agencies and the capital administration for a period of two months.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2019

Editorial

Updated 08 Aug, 2026

Danger ahead

PAKISTAN has already paid a heavy human price this monsoon, even as another dangerous spell approaches. NDMA figures...
08 Aug, 2026

Israeli impunity

ANY hope that Hamas’s decision to disarm would lead to a breakthrough has been dashed for one simple reason:...
Updated 08 Aug, 2026

Flawed investigations

An inaccurate record of a victim’s wounds hinders the dispensation of justice. Medical examiners in such a critical area cannot cut corners.
07 Aug, 2026

Terrorist havens

DESPITE the use of both carrots and sticks by the international community, the Afghan Taliban refuse to cut their...
Updated 07 Aug, 2026

Mineral wealth

Any future agreements involving critical minerals must be subjected to rigorous legal, financial and technical scrutiny.
07 Aug, 2026

Growth denied

THE Sindh government’s agreement with the World Bank to combine health, nutrition, sanitation, social protection...