October 8th, 2020
By Kamran Ali
LOWER DIR
District Lower Dir of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has once more become a witness of deteriorating law and order, as a Jazz mobile tower on Tuesday was blown up in the Maidan area by unknown miscreants.
Fortunately though, according to local police, the attack did not cause any causalities but the tower was severely damaged which spread fear among the residents. The police, so far, could not identify any culprits.
On October 3, unknown armed men killed a government school teacher in the Maidan area as he was driving back home. Local residents said the teacher had not been the target, as he had been driving the car of a relative who had already received a call for the ransom of five million Rupees. Apparently, the actual owner had been the target of the attack.
Similarly, posters of the banned outfit, on October 4, were found on the walls of the Kumbar Maidan area posted by unidentified person(s).
The posters read, “You are advised to refrain from any kind of cooperation with the government and if anyone cooperates even after this, they will soon see the consequences. Our aim is to implement Allah’s system on Allah’s earth”.
The poster also cautions, “Do not tear up or remove this poster.”
According to sources, this is the first time that such incidents have happened again after 2009 when terror activities were at a peak in the area.
The poster was coincidentally signed by Commander Hafizullah whose name has also appeared in some other activities in 2009, but there has been no confirmation till now.
According to local police, such posters, posted at night time, have been noticed in six different walls of the area which have consequently spread fear and panic among the locals.
A police official on condition of anonymity told Voicepk.net, “Police will take this serious threat issue with members of Local Action Committee, and after consultation with them, legal steps will be initiated”
Four days ago, the Lal Qila police recovered three roadside bombs, which were defused by the Bomb Disposal Unit later. The bombs seemed to intend to target some vehicles, said the police officials.
The house of a former local councilor was also attacked, some days ago with a remote-controlled bomb, though it, fortunately, reported no causality.
Likewise, three cops sustained injures after a roadside IED hit a police mobile van in Haya Serai on Aug 31, while some unidentified miscreant(s), on the night of Aug 11, targeted the police post in Kumbar Maidan with rockets.
Locals of Maidan believe that the law and order situation is again worsening in the area as they claimed a few unregistered happenings of terror in the previous month including calls and letters for extortion. The inhabitants made a demand for their safety and protection.
According to local sources, masked gunmen have been spotted in most parts of the field since evening which made police abandon night patrols and confine themselves to police stations.
In 2009, the Maidan area of Lower Dir was the hub of banned outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The area is also the home town of the leader of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM), Maulana Sufi Mohammad who is now deceased.
Yesterday, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan issued a circular in the Dir area. Warning citizens against supporting the state or security forces both overtly and subtly. Warning them of serious consequences otherwise. They also denounced the state’s proclamations of peace in the area calling Dir an active warzone.
