ISLAMABAD (MNN); Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday categorically rejected reports of a military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah Valley, stating that population movement in the area was a long-standing and routine practice driven by weather and geography.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Ikhtiar Wali Khan, Asif said that no operation had been conducted in Tirah for years and that the armed forces were only carrying out intelligence-based operations against militants.
The press conference followed a public dispute between the federal and KP governments over who authorised the relocation of Tirah residents after hundreds left their homes amid reports of a planned operation.
Asif said that around 400 to 500 members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan were present in Tirah with their families, adding that intelligence-based operations were more effective and caused minimal collateral damage compared to full-scale military action.
He clarified that the KP government had itself approved a Rs4 billion relief package for the voluntary migration of Tirah residents, based on an agreement reached between local jirga elders and the provincial administration. The military, he stressed, had no role in issuing relocation orders.
Referring to an official notification issued by the KP Relief, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Department, Asif said the funds were meant for temporary and voluntary movement of people from certain localities of Tirah to facilitate relief arrangements.
The defence minister criticised the KP government’s performance, highlighting the absence of basic infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and police stations in the valley. He claimed there was a complete lack of civilian law enforcement presence in Tirah.
Asif also alleged that hemp cultivation over nearly 12,000 acres in Tirah was a major issue, with profits benefiting politically connected individuals and militant groups. He said the federal government had initiated steps to ensure locals benefitted from the crop through development of education and health facilities.
He accused the KP government of politicising the issue to deflect attention from its failures and falsely portraying routine migration as forced displacement linked to a non-existent operation.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said historical records dating back to the 1880s confirmed that Afridi and Akakhel tribes traditionally migrated to lower areas during winters and returned to Tirah in summers.
PM’s aide Ikhtiar Wali Khan questioned how much of the Rs4bn relief package had actually reached the displaced families, alleging misuse of funds by the KP government for political purposes.
Responding to reports that 65 percent of Tirah’s population had vacated their homes, Asif said such migration levels were historically documented during harsh winters and snowfall and were being misrepresented for political gain.
