Political parties, tribal elders demand relief for displaced Tirah families

Speakers call for transparency in relief fund, rehabilitation plan for over 10,000 displaced families

KHYBER:

A jirga (conference) on the rights of Tirah victims was held at Bara Bazaar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Khyber district on Saturday under the auspices of the Khyber National Jirga, with district leaders from various political parties and tribal elders demanding immediate relief and rehabilitation measures for displaced families.

Leaders from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) participated in the conference alongside tribal elders.

Tribal leader Malik Mujeeb Khan said the relocation from Tirah Valley was carried out after negotiations with the chief minister, Corps Commander Peshawar and IG FC. Shah Faisal, District President of Jamaat-e-Islami, also stated that the citizens of Tirah were forcibly displaced.

"Tirah Valley was vacated on the orders of provincial, central government and military leadership," he stated, adding that stakeholders cleared the area to rid it of terrorism.

Meanwhile, Syed Kabeer, General Secretary of JUI-F, said the chief minister is the province's chief executive and the Tirah relocation and operation are carried out with his permission. "Chief Minister Sohail Afridi must fulfill his responsibility for the relocation and peacekeeping in Tirah," he added.

Read: Centre, K-P feud deepens over Tirah

"Thousands of families who have been relocated are living in dire conditions," Kabeer stated.

PTI leader Abid Khan Afridi also maintained that, "the chief minister is the province's chief executive, but he has been rendered powerless." He emphasised, "this is a time for unity, not division."

Afridi added that the provincial government is vigilant regarding the facilities for the victims. "Corruption in the relief fund should be identified and action taken," he noted.

Meanwhile, former PTI MPA Shafiq Afridi said representatives of the provincial and federal governments held negotiations with the people of Tirah. "In their speeches, federal ministers ridicule the dire condition of our Tirah victims," he stated.

The former MPA demanded the federal government take immediate steps for relief of the victims. "The federation should provide a plan for the return and rehabilitation of the victims," he added, while emphasising that the provincial government must ensure transparency of the relief fund.

Read More: PHC told neither federal nor K-P govt authorised Tirah operation

PML-N District President Asghar Khan also laid responsibility on both the provincial and federal governments for the difficulties faced by the victims. "The provincial government should acknowledge its mistakes in the decision for relocation and possible operation," he said.

He stated that after the chief minister's acknowledgement, the federation will resolve the victims' issues.

Friction between the federal and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) governments over the Tirah Valley situation has continued unabated as the former maintains that no operation is being carried out while Chief Minister Sohail Afridi sticks by his claims.

The federal government maintains that only small-scale, intelligence-based operations against militants are under way and that no mass evacuation is required. The provincial government, however, rejects this claim.

Also Read: No large-scale offensive in Tirah, says security official

In the midst of this feud, thousands of families remain displaced from Tirah Valley as the provincial 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.