PESHAWAR: A suspected drone strike killed one child and injured five others in a remote village of Pakistan’s South Waziristan district on Friday, triggering protests by local residents who demanded greater security and clarity from the authorities.

The incident took place in the Dashka settlement near Makeen, a mountainous region that is part of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Local officials said the origin of the drone was still unknown, but the strike has renewed concerns following a similar attack last month in nearby North Waziristan that killed four children and sparked days of demonstrations.

“The attack took place at around 11:30 a.m.,” Abdul Qadir, a senior police officer in the district, told Arab News over the phone. “The children, aged between four and 11, were immediately rushed to Razmak Hospital for emergency medical treatment.”

Reacting to the development, Asif Khan Mehsud, a provincial lawmaker from the area, said his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI) had consistently opposed drone strikes on Pakistani soil, labeling them a gross violation of human rights.

“This reckless attack on innocent civilians must be investigated,” he added.

Last month, a suspected quadcopter drone strike in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, killed four children and injured others, prompting mass protests and a statement from the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations.

The military said it had carried out an investigation into the incident, denied involvement and blamed the attack on militant groups, while residents demanded accountability and security guarantees.

On Friday, people in Makeen launched a protest sit-in, seeking protection rather than compensation, as local elders met with police and security officials to voice their outrage.

“We are not safe even in our own homes,” said Muhammad Jan, a tribal elder participating in the protest. “What we demand is not money or charity. We want protection and peace.”

He added that tribal elders would continue dialogue with local authorities to explore long-term security arrangements for the area.

Pakistan’s northwestern tribal belt has witnessed militant violence, military operations and US drone attacks in the past.

While US-led international forces pulled out of Afghanistan in August 2021, the issue of militancy continues, prompting security forces to launch intelligence-based operations in these areas.
 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will issue multiple-entry visas valid for one year to Afghan drivers and transporters to facilitate cross-border trade, its embassy in Kabul announced on Friday, amid an ongoing campaign to deport undocumented Afghan nationals.

Afghan drivers play a vital role in bilateral and transit trade between the two countries.

Under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), Afghan transporters are allowed to move goods between Pakistani ports and their countries major cities like Kandahar, Jalalabad and Kabul.

The Pakistan government’s decision to issue visas comes at a time when the government has repatriated 979,486 Afghan nationals since launching a deportation drive in 2023 over security concerns.

“The Government of Pakistan has decided to issue multiple-entry visas of one-year validity to Afghan drivers and transporters,” the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul said in a post on X. “The visa fee for this category would be $100.”

The new visa policy is likely to benefit ongoing trade flows, especially as Pakistan remains a primary corridor for Afghanistan’s access to international markets.

Afghan trucks are permitted to transport goods under the APTTA framework, including third-country imports destined for Afghanistan.

Applicants for the new visa will be required to upload a photograph, a scanned copy of their passport, Afghanistan’s national identity document, a valid temporary admission document, an employment letter from a registered transport company or an authority letter from a transport operator and a valid driving license.

Pakistan’s deportation policy in 2023 followed a spike in militant attacks, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.

Islamabad has previously linked such attacks and other crimes to Afghan nationals, who make up the largest migrant population in the country, though Kabul has denied any nexus between the two.

Despite tensions, both countries have recently taken steps to restore diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level.