Quadcopter/UAVs banned across country amid security concerns after drone attacks: Interior Ministry

• Reports indicate at least six people injured in three drone attacks in Bannu, Swabi, and Abbottabad

 ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR/KARACHI: The provincial governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Gilgit-Baltistan have imposed an immediate ban on the outdoor flying of quadcopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Interior Ministry announced on Friday, citing prevailing security concerns along the western border.

The ban follows recent incidents in which Afghan Taliban forces reportedly attempted to use rudimentary drones to target areas in Pakistan. Several attacks were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, prompting warnings from military and civilian authorities.

During a press briefing, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, chief of the Inter-Services Public Relations, confirmed that Taliban forces tried to strike locations including Swabi and Abbottabad using drones. “However, the anti-drone systems in place and effective deployment neutralized the threat,” he said.

In a letter to the chief secretaries of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as the Islamabad chief commissioner, the interior ministry directed the strict enforcement of the ban “with immediate effect and until further orders.”

Details of reported drone attacks

Local reports indicate at least six people were injured in three drone attacks in Bannu, Swabi, and Abbottabad.

Bannu: A mosque in the Mirbaz Barkazai area was targeted around Iftar, injuring five worshippers inside the mosque.

Swabi: In Pabbini village, near a girls’ school in the Gadoon Amazai mountainous area, a drone struck while children were playing outside. One schoolgirl, Amna, was injured and taken to hospital, while others narrowly escaped. ASP Muhammad Numan said the drone was homemade and carried explosives.

Abbottabad: A drone flying over the cantonment was brought down by security forces around 1 pm, with no casualties or property damage reported, the local DPO confirmed.

Provincial responses and enforcement

Following the incidents, multiple administrations imposed drone bans for varying periods:

Punjab: 30-day ban on drones and UAVs from Wednesday.

Islamabad: Two-month ban under Section 144, extendable by another two months; exemptions apply only to law enforcement and Islamabad administration.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: One-month ban issued by the Home and Tribal Affairs Department, classifying drones as “direct or indirect threats” to citizens and infrastructure.

Gilgit-Baltistan: Immediate ban in all districts, per interior ministry orders.

Sindh: Two-month restriction on helicams, drones, UAVs, and quadcopters.

Balochistan: Immediate and complete ban on use, possession, and operation of all UAVs, drones, quadcopters, camcopters, and remote-controlled aerial devices.

The measures were described as necessary to protect public safety, prevent surveillance and espionage, curb the transport of explosives or prohibited items, and safeguard sensitive installations, public gatherings, key personalities, and official convoys.

Authorities have urged citizens to cooperate with law enforcement and avoid flying drones in violation of the ban.