Bannu peace committee agrees to no protests as talks with police conclude

BANNU: Successful talks between the Police Peace Committee and police officials concluded on Sunday, with the former submitting an 11-point written assurance, which outlines a code of conduct for committee members.

Under the assurance, submitted to the regional police officer (RPO) and district police officer (DPO), peace committee members will not participate in protests, strikes, sit-ins or political activities and will perform their duties within the framework of the law.

According to the written assurance, no committee member will arrest any person without legal authority. Action against individuals wanted in terrorism or other serious cases will be taken through the relevant law enforcement agencies, particularly the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

Committee members will cooperate with the army, Frontier Corps (FC), CTD and other law enforcement agencies (LEAs) only on the directions of authorised officials.

The assurance also stated that members will refrain from exceeding their authority and engaging in unlawful activities, while accepting legal action in case of any violation of the code.

The talks were held at Bannu Police Lines and were attended by RPO Bannu Abdul Ghafoor Afridi, MNA Maulana Syed Naseem Ali Shah, MNA Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, MPA Malik Pakhtunyar Khan and other local elders.

During the talks, estranged PTI leader Marwat expressed reservations over the transfers of Police Peace Committee members, saying that instead of transferring them, authorities should examine why the committee was formed in the first place and what circumstances compelled police personnel to take such a step.

Earlier this week, Police Peace Committee President Hazratullah objected to the transfer of seven Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police constables to other districts. He called on the personnel to boycott their duties, resulting in disruptions to police services and the traffic system in several areas.

The MNA affirmed that the 2.2 million people of Bannu and Lakki Marwat stood with the Police Peace Committee. He said sacrifices in the region had created hope among the people and that the situation was gradually improving.

He urged authorities to avoid steps that could undermine the committee’s role, warning that if weakening the committee resulted in terrorists becoming active again, the responsibility would rest with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inspector general.

He urged Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, KP IG Zulfiqar Hameed and the chief secretary to resolve issues concerning the Police Peace Committee through consultation at the local level and to take all stakeholders into confidence on matters relating to peace and security.

Meanwhile, MNA Shah called for the formation of district-level empowered committees for future decisions concerning the police in Bannu and Lakki Marwat, saying that decisions should not be imposed without local consultation.

MPA Pakhtunyar stated that he stood with the police and the Police Peace Committee, adding that if any attempt was made to create obstacles in their way or undermine their role, he would stand firmly with both the police and the committee.

Meanwhile, in Lakki Marwat, the Police Peace Committee ended its four-day protest following talks with the Bannu RPO in the presence of Marwat. During the negotiations, assurances were given for the recovery of an abducted police official, who was subsequently recovered.

The talks also covered the cancellation of transfers of certain police personnel and local elders, provision of modern equipment to the police and improvement of security arrangements.

It has also been decided to seek FC’s services for the security of sensitive locations in Bannu and Lakki Marwat.

Bannu district has been the scene of repeated security incidents in recent months, with both civilians and local security forces coming under attack amid a broader surge in militant violence.

On August 10, a police constable was martyred when unidentified armed men opened fire on him in the district’s Sorani area.

The same day, the district police, CTD and security forces conducted a joint operation in the jurisdiction of the Miryan police station, leading to the killing of an unidentified terrorist and the arrest of 10 suspected individuals.

Days later, the police and security forces claimed to have killed five terrorists and injured several others during a joint intelligence-based operation in parts of Domel tehsil.

According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank, violence linked to terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations intensified sharply in July, making it the deadliest month of 2026, with 112 security personnel among 205 people killed.