Tirah families await return after 255 days

The sit-in protest organized by the Tirah Affectees Movement (Tehreek-e-Mutassireen Tirah) outside Bara Press Club entered its 255th day on Wednesday, as displaced families continue their demand for the issuance of an immediate notification allowing their dignified return to their homes in the Tirah Valley.

The protest, launched to secure the rights of families uprooted from Tirah Maidan during military operations, has now stretched into its ninth month without resolution. Demonstrators say they have yet to receive basic facilities, announced financial compensation, or a clear timeline for their return.

Speaking to media persons, Rahmat Shah, Chairman of the Tirah Affectees Movement, reiterated that the displaced families had initiated the sit-in to press for their demands and a dignified return. He expressed frustration that despite the passage of nearly nine months, no tangible progress had been made.

Spokesperson Suhbat Afridi stated that the affectees are facing severe hardships after being forced out of their homes, while on the other hand, Tirah residents continue to suffer under various forms of hardship. He added that the prolonged displacement has compounded the misery of thousands of families who remain uncertain about their future.

The protesters have called upon the relevant authorities to immediately issue a formal notification for their return and to ensure that promised compensation and rehabilitation packages are disbursed without further delay. They warned that the continuation of the sit-in reflects the growing desperation of the displaced population.

Local elders and community leaders have also urged the government to address the grievances of the Tirah affectees, cautioning that further delay could exacerbate an already fragile humanitarian situation in the region.

The sit-in continues to draw support from various segments of society, with calls mounting for a swift resolution to one of the longest-running displacement protests in the region.

It may be mentioned here that a week ago, a delegation led by Bara Political Alliance president Hashim Khan Afridi visited Tirah to assess development projects, security, civilian administration and basic facilities. The alliance claimed that the situation on the ground did not match government claims of billions of rupees being spent on development in the valley.

According to the delegation, major projects such as schools, colleges, hospitals, bridges, hydropower schemes and a tehsil complex were not visible during the visit, while asphalt work was observed on a roughly 1.5- to two-kilometre stretch between Dawa Toi and Tand.

The alliance also claimed that work on Tirah Road was progressing slowly and that overall completion appeared to be less than 15 per cent despite allocated and released funds.

The delegation met Tirah Brigade Commander Brigadier Idris and discussed security and the return of displaced residents. According to Hashim Khan and Tirah Victims Movement spokesperson Sohbat Khan Afridi, the commander said security authorities had declared Tirah cleared in areas under their control and that security forces had full control where checkpoints had been established.

The political alliance argued that if the area was cleared from a security perspective, the provincial government and civil administration should immediately facilitate the return of residents and restore civilian institutions.

Former federal minister Hamidullah Jan Afridi said the people of Tirah had made enormous sacrifices for peace, but the construction of checkpoints could not be described as development. He urged authorities to ensure that the current return was the final displacement of Tirah residents.