Unmanned aerial vehicles banned countrywide amid escalating tensions with Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: After Afghan Taliban forces used “rudimentary drones” to target various parts of the country, a ban has been imposed on flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of any kind across the country.

The development comes as several ‘drone attacks’ were reported from across part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Subsequently, during his press briefing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that Afghan forces attempted to use “rudimentary drones” to attack areas like Swabi and Abbottabad.

“However, the anti-drone system over there and the effective deployment took them out,” he said.

According to local reports, at least six people were injured in three drone attacks in Bannu, Swabi and Abbotabad.

In Bannu, a mosque in the Mirbaz Barkazai area was targeted by a quadcopter around Iftar, leaving five worshippers injured. The attack occurred in the evening, while people were inside the mosque breaking their fast.

The incident in Swabi, which occurred near a girls’ school, was one of the first reported incidents of a drone attack in the area. According to Assistant Superintendent of Police Muhammad (ASP) Numan, at least one schoolgirl was injured, while other children narrowly escaped.

The incident occurred in Pabbini, a village located in the mountainous region of Gadoon Amazai, when children were playing near the school. The school had closed early on account of Friday, and the injured girl, identified as Amna, had just stepped out when the drone struck.

ASP Numan said that the injured girl was taken to the hospital for treatment, while residents of the village gathered in large numbers at the site of the attack.

“It was a self-made drone that also contained explosives,” he told Dawn.

Meanwhile, in Abbotabad, no loss of life or property was reported when a drone flying over the cantonment area was brought down by forces around 1pm, the local DPO confirmed.

Ban on drone flying

In view of drones being used, ostensibly by Afghan Taliban forces, to stage attacks inside Pakistani territory, drone-flying has been banned across the country.

In a letter addressed to the chief secretaries of Punjab, Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan as well as the Islamabad chief commissioner, the interior ministry said, “It has been decided to impose an immediate ban on outdoor flying of quadcopters/ UAVs with immediate effect and until further orders.”

It added: “In this regard, the provincial governments are requested to ensure strict enforcement of said ban.”

Subsequently, the administrations of Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Sindh and Balochistan notified a comprehensive ban on flying UAVs of any sort, for different periods of time.

Punjab had already banned the flying of drones and UAVs in its jurisdiction for 30 days, starting on Wednesday.

The Islamabad administration banned the use of drones, phantoms and camcopters in the federal capital for a period of two months under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which can be extended for another two months.

The ban applies to everyone, except law enforcement agencies and the Islamabad administration.

A spokesperson for Gilgit-Baltistan police told Dawn that flying drones had been banned in all districts with immediate effect, on the orders of the interior ministry.

The region witnessed demonstrations in favour of the Pakistan Army, and security checking was also heightened following the skirmishes between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Home and Tribal Affairs Department issued a notification banning the use of drones, quadcopters and UAVs for one month, classifying it as a “direct or indirect threat and … potential risk to the lives and properties of citizens as well as infrastructure of the government”.

In a separate notification, the additional chief secretary of Sindh also imposed a similar restriction on the use of helicams, drones, UAVs and quadcopters for two months.

The ban, however, would not apply to law enforcement or intelligence agencies and would be enforced by local police.

The Balochistan home department also imposed an immediate and complete ban on the use, possession, and operation of drones, UAVs, quadcopters, camcopters, and other remote-controlled aerial devices across the province.

According to an official notification, the decision was taken in view of security concerns, including the potential use of such devices for surveillance, espionage, transportation of prohibited items and explosives, spreading fear and panic, and disrupting law and order.

The measure was described as necessary to safeguard public safety and protect sensitive installations, public gatherings, key personalities, and official convoys.

Syed Irfan Raza and Iftikhar A. Khan in Islamabad, Jamil Nagri in Gilgit, Manzoor Ali in Peshawar, Rashid Javed in Abbottabad, Muqaddam Ali Khan in Swabi and Muhammad Waseem Khan in Bannu contributed to this report.

Additional input from APP