Thousands displaced from Tirah as security fears, snowfall slow evacuation

Centre, K-P govt clash over cause of displacement as aid, relocation continue

KHYBER:

Thousands of families remain displaced from Tirah Valley in Khyber district as the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government oversees their relocation amid worsening security and heavy snowfall.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, the evacuation began on January 10. So far, 11,400 families have been registered, with more than 10,000 relocated to safer areas, including Bara and Peshawar.

On Wednesday alone, 1,719 families were registered at five centres in Bara. Each family is being provided Rs22,000 to Rs44,000 for transport, along with a monthly housing allowance of Rs50,000.

Heavy snowfall three days ago trapped hundreds of families in trucks, triggering large-scale rescue operations. Authorities said at least 2,200 people have been rescued so far.

Mohammad Khan, a resident of Maidan in Tirah, said he was moving to Peshawar after receiving assistance. “I have received a token and Rs22,000 for transport. I’m relocating to Zang Gully in Peshawar. The security situation was bad because of the Taliban, and we came here for peace. Our demands are for a good package and assistance for the people,” he told The Express Tribune.

Another displaced resident said, “We have relocated due to the worsening security situation and are now in Bara.”

Read: K-P CM doubles down, calls Khyber jirga meeting for Sunday to settle Tirah displacement controversy

Kamal-ud-Din, head of a 24-member negotiation committee from Tirah, told a private news channel that the provincial government had accepted 31 demands put forward by residents. He said relocation would be completed by the end of January, with each family receiving Rs250,000 in advance and a monthly stipend of Rs50,000.

He added that families whose homes were destroyed during the operation would receive Rs3 million in compensation, while those with partially damaged houses would be given Rs1 million. He said the military operation was expected to end within two months, after which residents would be allowed to return.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced that a grand jirga of all tribes in Khyber would be held on Sunday at Jamrud Football Stadium. He said residents would be asked whether their displacement was voluntary or forced.

“We will show the world that injustice is being done to us,” Afridi said. “The people of K-P are not expendable, and their lives are not cheap.”

The displacement has also led to a clash of narratives between the federal and provincial governments. The federal government maintains that only small-scale, intelligence-based operations against militants are under way and that no mass evacuation is required.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the provincial government’s stance as “misleading and factually incorrect,” saying the relocation was a routine seasonal movement. “This is not a crisis but a routine practice that has been ongoing for years and can be verified,” he said.

The provincial government rejects this claim. Afridi said a jirga of all political parties in the K-P Assembly had unanimously agreed that military operations were not the solution to local issues.

“But it was decided in closed rooms that another operation would be imposed. A 24-member committee, led by the corps commander and IG FC, forced Afridi elders to vacate their homes despite snowfall,” he claimed.

Member of the National Assembly Iqbal Afridi said the grand jirga should be used for national-level consultation to develop a joint strategy to protect displaced families, ensure dignified returns and provide basic services.

He said decisions taken at the jirga would be conveyed to the federal government so that the issues faced by Tirah residents could be addressed on a priority basis. Local elders and political leaders have welcomed the jirga, expressing hope that it will lead to positive outcomes for the displaced communities.