LAKKI MARWAT: Police defused a 20-kilogramme improvised explosive device (IED) near Wanda Shuja along Mianwali Road on Saturday, foiling an attempt to target law-enforcement personnel.

An official said suspected terrorists had planted the device along the road. Police reached the site, cordoned off the area and called in the bomb disposal squad (BDS), whose experts defused the explosive through a controlled operation.

He said police subsequently launched a search operation to track down those responsible.

Meanwhile, the district administration has given traders in Darra Pezu town five days, until October 28, to remove encroachments from both sides of the highway and bazaars or face legal action.

An official said announcements were made through mosque loudspeakers on the directives of Deputy Commissioner Shahid Rafiq Gandapur, urging traders to voluntarily clear the encroachments within the deadline.

The Peshawar-Karachi Highway passes through Pezu town, where encroachments along the main artery and in the bazaar obstruct traffic and cause inconvenience to pedestrians.

The official said the administration had taken notice of the issue following public complaints.

He warned that an anti-encroachment operation would be launched if traders failed to comply with the deadline.

Deputy Commissioner Shahid Rafiq Gandapur told Dawn that the administration would continue its drive against encroachments and extend it to other areas.

In a separate development, the food department launched a crackdown on traders in Serai Naurang town following complaints of artificial price hikes and hoarding of food items.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2026