Bajaur – The military operation has resumed in Bajaur district following the failure of peace talks. The local administration has imposed a 3-day curfew in the Bajaur district several areas for the targeted operation.
The military operation codenamed “Sarbakf”, launched in late July, was paused after both sides agreed on a ceasefire and held talks for the relocation of militants to Afghanistan. But on Friday, the peace talks between the Bajaur Amn Jirga, and the Local militant commanders failed after multiple rounds of negotiations.
On Monday, the security forces resumed the offensive in Lowi Mamund and War Mamund tehsils, located at about 20 km distance from Khar, the district headquarters. They were, reportedly, assisted by helicopter gunships and artillery to target militant hideouts.
No loss of life was reported on the first day after the operation resumed, which continued till sunset.
3-Day Curfew Imposed on Several Localities
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home Department responded to the resumed operation by announcing a three-day curfew, which would remain in place until August 14. An announcement by the Assistant Commissioner of Khar on Facebook asserted, “A complete curfew will be imposed … in which movement on the roads and leaving houses will be prohibited”.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1QGe2cqH67
The district authorities have enforced a 12-hour curfew on major roads in the district, including Khar-Munda Road, Khar-Nawagai Road, Khar-Pashat Salarzai Road, and Khar-Sadiqabad-Inayat Kalley Road. “The restrictions on these roads, which commenced at 11 am on Monday, will remain in place until 11 pm the same night,” said the statement.
The statement also listed 27 areas of Bajaur where curfew will be imposed, including Laghari, Guati, Ghanam Shah, Bad Siya, Kamar, Amanta, Zagai, Gut, Gunde, Gadigal, Niag Kali, Rigi, Daag, Damadola, Sultan Beg, Chautra, Shenkot, Gang, Jeewar, Inam Khoro, Chengai, Anga, Safri, Bar Gatki, Kharki, Shukro, and Bakro.
“The public is requested to end their activities by 10:30 am and return to their homes during the curfew; otherwise, they will be at risk of any unfortunate incident,” the statement added.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s adviser on Information, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, refuted rumours of a province-wide curfew, terming it as “political propaganda”. “Life in the province is going on as usual. There is no curfew except for specific areas in Bajaur and Miranshah,” he added.
“Those who create fear by lying about the curfew are enemies of the people,” the statement read. “Action will be taken against those spreading false information on social media. The people of KP know that propaganda will fail.”
Actions Taken for Displaced People
The KP Assembly told on Tuesday that around 55,000 people have been displaced from different areas of Mamund Tehsil, while 400,000 residents are under the suddenly imposed curfew.
Khar Assistant Commissioner Dr Sadiq Ali said that the displaced people were accommodated in 100 government schools and colleges. “Right now, we have 435 schools. More than 100 private schools are also vacant,” he said.
Dissatisfaction of Locals
People in the affected areas are facing a restless situation with the restarting of the military operation. The curfew in the district, especially in the urban settlements of the Khar tehsil, inconvenienced the residents and drew criticism from many political leaders, such as Sahibzada Haroon Rashid, who headed the Bajaur Amn Jirga.
Addressing an emergency news conference at the Bajaur Press Club in Khar, Mr Rashid said the district administration had not consulted the residents before the imposition of the restrictions. He, together with the jirga members, condemned the provincial government and the district administration over their failure to offer the people displaced by the anti-militant action with proper transportation and accommodation facilities.
Local politician Nisar Baz opposed the curfew and urged them to lift it to help residents move safely at Tuesday’s session of the KP Assembly. “Almost the entire population is literally hostage to the curfew, which halted their migration. It’s astonishing why the government has imposed a curfew in a situation when the people were relocating to safe areas,” he said.
Attacks in the Bajaur Area
In early July 2025, there were major attacks in the Bajaur district. On July 2, 2025, an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated against a government vehicle, killing five people, including Assistant Commissioner Nawagai Faisal Ismail, and injuring 11 others.
A few days later, Maulana Khan Zeb, a former National Assembly candidate of the Awami National Party (ANP) in Bajaur, and two other men were fatally shot by unknown gunmen at Shindai Mor, a few feet away from the Khar Tehsil headquarters in KP.
