October 28, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
Residents of Bajaur tribal district staged a protest on Sunday, calling for the restoration of peace and stability in the region and an end to the siege of the Badan area in War Mamund. The demonstration, held at Sadigabad Bazaar in Khar tehsil, drew large participation from people of various walks of life, including political and social activists.
Leaders from several political and religious parties, as well as representatives of traders’ associations, also joined the protest. The sit-in, organized by the Bajaur Peace Jirga, was prompted by the reported two-day “siege” of the Badan area in War Mamund following clashes between security forces and militants.
Bajaur Peace Jirga head Sahibzada Haroon Rashid told Voicepk that ongoing clashes between militants and the military in War Mamund had left civilians stranded in their villages.
“People came out to protest because they are being used as human shields,” he said. “We have demanded that both parties — militants and the military — end the conflict through dialogue, or at least avoid creating hardships for residents.”
The rally began from the Umary Chowk, where participants chanted slogans calling for peace before marching on foot to Sadigabad Bazaar, approximately five kilometres away. The gathering was addressed by several prominent figures, including Sahibzada Haroon Rashid, PTI MPA Dr. Hamidur Rehman, ANP MPA Mohammad Nisar Baaz Khan, JUI-F district chief Maulana Abdur Rasheed, and former MNA and PTI leader Gul Zafar Khan.
Protesters decry ongoing violence
Speakers said the sit-in aimed at voicing public outrage over the two-day siege of Badan and nearby areas amid ongoing clashes between security forces and militants, and to raise their concerns with the authorities. They claimed that the fighting not only trapped residents in their homes but also endangered their lives, with some houses reportedly damaged during the hostilities.
Last week, an alleged quadcopter drone strike injured six children in the Dama Dola area of Bajaur. Residents of Dama Dola had only recently returned to their homes after being displaced, following assurances from authorities that the area had been cleared of militants and was safe for resettlement.
In a video from Dama Dola Hospital, a resident can be seen standing beside a relative holding one of the injured boys in his lap. Speaking to the camera, the man says, “This child is from the area that the authorities claimed to have cleared.” Referring to the military offensive launched against militants in Bajaur on July 28, he adds, “The people of Dama Dola vacated their homes on government orders for the sake of peace, allowing you to conduct your operations freely. But after declaring the area clear and instructing people to return, what do these daily drone attacks mean? They are once again killing our women and children.”
These sentiments were echoed by the protesters at Sadigabad Bazaar, who claimed that authorities had promised lasting peace when the targeted operation against militants began. However, they alleged that since returning home, they have seen no real improvement in law and order, despite thousands of families from both Lowi and War Mamund tehsils being displaced by the fighting.
Presence of TTP and ISKP in Bajaur
Bajaur district lies along the Afghanistan border, with Mamund tehsil sharing a direct boundary with Afghanistan’s Kunar province. Mamund is the largest tehsil of Bajaur, covering an area of approximately 250 square kilometres. It borders Salarzai, Khar Bajaur, and Nawagai tehsils, as well as Afghanistan’s Shagai and Marawara districts.
Independent journalist and researcher, Zia Ur Rehman, who covers security issues extensively, told Voicepk that two major militant groups — the TTP and ISKP — are operating in the district, carrying out attacks against security forces, government officials, and political parties.
Speaking about their targets, Rehman said that it has been observed that the TTP generally targets security forces, government employees, and pro-government tribal elders, while the ISKP focuses on political parties, government officers, and tribal elders. He noted that ISKP specifically targets the religious political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) because it perceives the party as an ideologically close affiliate of the Afghan Taliban in Pakistan.
“Bajaur is the only district in Pakistan’s KP province where ISKP has carried out a significant number of attacks compared to its activities in other districts. However, despite the ideological differences between the two groups — TTP and ISKP — they do not attack each other in Bajaur,” he added
Meanwhile in the protest speakers recalled that authorities had initially assured them that the military operation would remain limited to selected areas of Mamund. However, they alleged that the offensive has expanded to other areas of War Mamund and Khar tehsils and expressed fears that it could extend further. They vowed to resist any expansion of the operation and to continue pressing authorities to end it immediately