Curfew, border closure paralyze Pakistan's North Waziristan after deadly attacks

A sweeping security crackdown has gripped North Waziristan district in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province following deadly suicide bombings that killed 13 soldiers and injured over 20 people, including four civilians, on June 28.

Authorities have imposed a strict curfew, shut down cellular networks, and closed the Ghulam Khan border crossing with Afghanistan. Residents now face limited access to food, medicine, and communication.

“This region has become a well of death,” local journalist Rasool Dawar told Nukta, warning that residents risk being shot if they step out during curfew hours. He added that the restrictions go beyond the nightly curfew, noting that a daytime curfew is also enforced twice a week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“This means residents can only move freely in daylight for five days a week,” he said.

The Deputy Commissioner’s Office confirmed that movement is banned from dusk till dawn under Section 144. The sweeping restrictions apply to roads, link routes, streets, markets, business centers, and playgrounds. A public notice issued by the district administration stated: “Anyone seen during curfew hours will be shot on sight, as per orders given to security forces.”

The crackdown followed twin suicide bombings on security forces. Authorities said the measures were in response to worsening law and order, but offered no timeline for their rollback.

In a separate notification, the district administration banned gatherings of more than three people, pillion riding, and the entry of non-custom paid (NCP) vehicles, even though such vehicles are permitted in other tribal districts.

The closure of the Ghulam Khan border crossing has severely disrupted trade. Afghan Border Police spokesperson Abidullah Uqab Farooqi said Pakistan shut the crossing without any official explanation.

“They have blocked access to the border and instructed that all vehicles be rerouted through an alternative crossing,” he said, adding the closure appears indefinite.

Qamar Zaman Mehsud, General Secretary of the Import Export Association at Ghulam Khan, said the closure is causing daily losses worth millions of rupees. He said between 500 to 700 goods-laden vehicles cross through the border daily, carrying vegetables, rice, fruits, and cement.

“Nearly 800 vehicles, despite having cleared customs, are now stranded at the border and have been instructed to reroute through alternative crossings,” Mehsud said.

Mehsud criticized the closure, calling trade vital for peace and livelihoods. “If the closure was unavoidable, at least cleared vehicles should have been allowed through,” he said.

He added that perishable goods are spoiling and diverting cargo to Torkham adds an extra cost of Rs150,000 per vehicle.

“A jirga with the Deputy Commissioner is scheduled for tomorrow. If permission is not granted, we will have no choice but to reroute and bear the extra expense,” he said.

JUI-F leader Humayun Wazir called the situation a blatant injustice. “What are we supposed to do if someone falls seriously ill at night? Should we just wait helplessly until morning to take them to the hospital?” he asked.

Wazir accused security institutions of failing to restore peace in the region. “Our people are suffering under this oppressive curfew, and we outright reject it,” he said.

Dawar said that exams had been postponed due to the restrictions. People remain disconnected because of partial mobile network shutdowns.

“Access to internet and landline services is impossible under these strict SOPs. What are people supposed to do?” he questioned.

He warned the measures would not restore peace. “Oppression will not bring stability, only trade, jobs, and opportunities can steer youth away from militancy,” Dawar said.

“When you deny people livelihoods, you push them toward desperation.”

Sajjad Ahmed Mehsud, a practicing lawyer from Waziristan, condemned the ongoing restrictions as "unbearable and miserable," arguing that they violate both human rights and constitutional guarantees.

"The curfew or ban on movement is a blatant violation of the Constitution of Pakistan, which ensures citizens' freedom of movement," Mehsud stated.

He announced plans to challenge the government's notifications before the Peshawar High Court, seeking their annulment on grounds of illegality and unconstitutionality. "We will push for the immediate restoration of normalcy in the area," he asserted.

Mehsud urged security forces to focus on protection rather than punishment.

"The job of security forces is to safeguard citizens, not confine them under indefinite curfews," he said.