Thousands displaced as Tirah crisis deepens

CM Afridi visits camp, expands registration and relief

BARA:

Following a surge in unrest and escalating security concerns, large-scale displacement is underway in Tirah Valley, with thousands of families leaving their homes for safer areas, including Bara and Peshawar.

The growing humanitarian crisis prompted Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi to conduct an emergency visit to the Painda China registration camp on January 16, where he met affected families and personally oversaw immediate relief arrangements.

The Chief Minister also criticized labeling opposition to failed policies as support for terrorism and condemned baseless allegations against those demanding consultation. "My people are being targeted because of the care I feel for them. But I stand with them like a mountain and will continue to support them till the end," Afridi said.

He emphasized that the government bears direct responsibility for the dignity and safety of the displaced and vowed zero tolerance for any negligence.

Immediate instructions were issued for rapid relief measures, with a particular focus on streamlining registration processes and ensuring respectful treatment of all internally dis-placed persons.

Registration and Relief

According to district authorities, registration at Painda China is being conducted transparently, efficiently, and with dignity. Assistant Commissioners Talha Rafiq Alam (Barda) and Muhammad Anwar (Tirah) are overseeing the process. Women and children are given priority in the initial stages, followed by men, and registration opera-tions continue late into the night to accommodate as many families as possible.

IDPs are being provided with shelter, food, basic medical care, and other essential facilities. To cope with in-creasing demand, additional registration centers have been established at Government School Painda China, Qambarabad Market, Government Girls High School Badshah Khan Khel, and Takya Center Qamar Khel. Ad-ditional staff has also been deployed from other tehsils to assist with operations.

Transportation Points

To ease financial burdens, dedicated points for vehicle fare payments have been set up for affected families. These include: Painda China School for Zakha Khel residents, Kohe Chowk for Malik Din Khel and Bar Qam-bar Khel communities, and Shah House Barda for Shalobar, Sepah, and Kamar Khel IDPs. These points ensure prompt and transparent disbursement of travel assistance.

Tirah Valley, comprising seven union councils, has a population estimated between 111,000 and 124,000, with around 18,000 households officially recorded and non-official estimates suggesting over 37,000 households.

The government has emphasized that ensuring the basic needs of IDPs remains a top priority, with all available resources mobilized to meet the crisis. CM Afridi pledged that lasting peace requires consultation among all stakeholders and a new, consensual policy framework.