The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Bannu and BISE Dera Ismail Khan have postponed matriculation examination papers that were scheduled to be held from October 7 to 10, citing the security situation and the suspension of mobile phone and internet services in their jurisdictions. BISE Bannu's postponement covers papers of the SSC Annual-II and Oriental Languages Examination 2026, and applies to candidates in Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and North Waziristan. In a notification issued on October 3, the board said the prevailing security situation and the suspension of mobile and internet services would cause serious inconvenience to students, parents, teachers, and examination staff, particularly in the timely delivery of roll numbers, duty letters, and other exam-related communication. New dates for the postponed papers will be announced separately, while all other scheduled examinations will continue as planned. BISE Dera Ismail Khan has also postponed its matriculation papers originally set for October 7-10, citing a three-day suspension of mobile phone services. The board's exams will now begin on October 12 instead. Both postponements come against a backdrop of rising security incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies has reported that September 2026 recorded the highest monthly total of attacks in the past 12 years. Affected students are advised to watch for fresh announcements from their respective boards regarding rescheduled exam dates.