ISLAMABAD ( Web Desk) – he federal government has enforced an immediate nationwide ban on flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) after what officials described as “rudimentary drone” attacks allegedly carried out by Afghan Taliban forces in parts of Khyber PakhtunkhThe decision followed multiple reported drone incidents in Bannu, Swabi and Abbottabad, which left at least six people injured.
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During a press briefing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Afghan forces had attempted to target areas including Swabi and Abbottabad using basic quadcopters. He stated that Pakistan’s anti-drone systems successfully intercepted and neutralised the devices.
In Bannu’s Mirbaz Barkazai area, a quadcopter struck a mosque around Iftar time, injuring five worshippers who were breaking their fast inside.
In Swabi, a drone attack near a girls’ school in Pabbini village, located in the mountainous Gadoon Amazai region, injured a schoolgirl identified as Amna. According to Assistant Superintendent of Police Numan, the device was locally assembled and carried explosives. The injured girl was shifted to hospital, while residents gathered at the site in large numbers.
In Abbottabad, security forces brought down a drone flying over the cantonment area around 1pm. District Police Officer confirmed there was no loss of life or property in that incident.
Nationwide Drone Ban
Following these developments, the Interior Ministry issued a letter to chief secretaries and administrative heads across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad, ordering an immediate suspension of outdoor quadcopter and UAV operations until further notice.
Provincial administrations subsequently implemented the directive:
- Islamabad banned drones, phantoms and camcopters for two months under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, extendable by another two months.
- Punjab had already imposed a 30-day ban earlier in the week.
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prohibited drones and quadcopters for one month, citing security risks to citizens and infrastructure.
- Sindh enforced a two-month restriction on helicams, drones and UAVs.
- Balochistan announced a complete ban on possession, use and operation of remote-controlled aerial devices across the province.
- Gilgit-Baltistan also imposed an immediate province-wide ban.
The restrictions exempt law enforcement and intelligence agencies and will be enforced by local police.
Authorities said the measures were necessary due to heightened security concerns, including the possible use of drones for surveillance, espionage, transporting explosives, spreading panic and disrupting law and order.
The situation also prompted demonstrations in Gilgit-Baltistan in support of the Pakistan Army, while security checks were intensified amid ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
