August 12, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
Shaheen Ullah, 29, hails from the Laghari village, one of the areas of Bajaur, where a targeted military operation has been taking place since two weeks now and has upended people’s lives, forcing them to flee their homes seeking safety.
“We have been living in a constant state of limbo, hoping that the government might end this operation, especially as negotiations between the militants and the Aman Jirga were taking place,” he says. “But only yesterday, the government imposed a curfew in our area and told us to vacate immediately. So, early in the morning, we had to leave our village on foot, carrying only whatever we could manage in our hands.”
One of the most heartbreaking moments was explaining the necessity of the situation to his 80 year old grandmother. “She refused to leave home, and more than anything she did not want to abandon the animals she had kept – her beloved cattle. It was sad but we were forced to take her with us, as there was firing around us and people were terrified.”
Along with other displaced families, Shaheen’s family too, is housed in one of the government schools in Bajaur’s Utmankhel Tehsil.
One of the volunteers helping to resettle the displaced, spoke to Voicepk over the phone.
“We are accommodating the IDPs in schools, hujras (tents), and in the homes of local residents who have made space for them in these hard times,” said Sajjad Khan. “In one primary school, we are adjusting four to five families, while in high schools, 15 to 16 families are being placed, with one room allocated to each family.”
According to the Voicepk correspondent in Bajaur there was not much the people could take with them.
“People have fled the area wearing only the clothes on their backs and carrying whatever they could, as there was no transport available because of the curfew,” he said.
Curfew issues
On Monday August 11, the local administration issued a notification late at night saying a three-day curfew would be imposed on August 14, from 11 am until 11 am to ensure public safety during the anti-terror operation.
“A complete curfew will be imposed, prohibiting movement on the roads and leaving homes,” the notification read. It listed 31 places — 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 — as areas under curfew in Bajaur.
Certain roads, including Khar Munda Road, Khar Navagi Road, Khar Pusht Salarzai Road, and Khar Sadiqabad Inayat Kalay Road, were also declared off-limits.
Bilal Yasir said the curfew had worsened the lives of the people, leaving many families stuck in the area with no transport to escape. “People have left behind fully furnished homes, taking only what they could carry,” he said.
Those displaced are being sheltered in government schools and colleges. According to the district administration, 6,607 people are temporarily residing in 85 government and private schools and colleges, while 334 families — totaling 2,497 people — are living in the Sports Stadium Camp.
Saeedullah Jan, ADC Finance and Planning Bajaur, said the total number of affected families is 991, including 1,497 men, 1,552 women, and 3,558 children. The registration of approximately 20,000 families in host communities is still underway.
However, local lawmaker Nisar Baz from the Awami National Party told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday that around 55,000 people have been displaced from different areas of Mamund Tehsil due to the military operation, while 400,000 residents remain trapped by the suddenly imposed curfew. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Mamund is the largest tehsil in Bajaur district, with a population of 311,373.
Nisar Baz expressed dissatisfaction with the provincial government, saying, “People are in a dire situation, and the government has taken no measures for the IDPs. They have been accommodated in schools, but there is no arrangement for food, water, or electricity. If the government had acted, we, as the opposition, would not have to cry and complain in the provincial assembly.”
He further stated that in the 25 villages of Bar Mamund identified by security forces for intelligence-based operations, no targeted action has been taken so far, which could force even more people to migrate.
Adil Zahoor, Assistant Director of PDMA Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, told Voicepk, “The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has not yet started registering IDPs. We will begin the process tomorrow, and only then will we be able to determine the exact number of displaced families.”
He estimated that at least 22,000 families would register. He added that the district administration has housed families in schools, colleges, and a camp established at the Bajaur Sports Complex.
Meanwhile, there are reports that the local administration has barred people from entering the camp and taking photographs, restricting journalists from covering the plight of the displaced.