KHYBER: Elders and political activists from Kamarkhel tribe of Bara and Tirah areas here have expressed reservations about the “possible” targeted military operation against militant hideouts in parts of Tirah valley and warned if authorities didn’t allay those reservations, there would be a series of street protests in the region.

Addressing a news conference at the Bara Press Club on Monday, the representatives of Kamarkhel tribe demanded of the security officials to postpone that operation until the harvest of several crops in those areas.

Abdul Mateen Afridi, Haji Said Rasan, Murad Khan, Noor Wali, Qari Qismat, Haji Said Ghani and other elders said that the entire population of the areas where the operation was planned shouldn’t be asked to depart.

They, however, said that if the displacement was the only option prior to the start of that crackdown on militant hideouts, then the government should provide alternate accommodation, food and health and education facilities to the families of targeted areas.

Warn rallies to be staged if reservations not allayed; demand accommodation, food, health and education facilities in case of displacement

The Kamarkhel elders said that residents of Tirah valley had suffered a lot due to their displacement in the recent past when military operation was abruptly by authorities without taking them into confidence.

They said that the majority of Tirah and Bara residents were peace-loving people and would support every effort of the government for the restoration of peace in the region.

The elders said that the residents should be compensated for the mental and physical torture as well as financial losses they suffered during such operations in the past.

They argued that when hundreds of the families that returned to different parts of Tirah awaited compensation for their damaged houses despite the passage of more than seven years, a new military operation stared them in the eye.

Meanwhile, sources in Sanda Pal, Dray Naghari, Baghrai, Baghram, Khapur and Jarrobi areas confirmed that the residents were asked to vacate their houses until the third week of the current month.

They said that authorities had assured residents of the transport facility for safer places along with food and non-food items.

The sources, however, insisted that if people were forced to vacate their houses ahead of the military operation, they would face harsh winter as well as health issues, especially by children and women.

The district administration is tight-lipped about the military operation, while the security officials stationed in Tirah valley, too, have yet to issue any formal announcement of the crackdown on militant hideouts in the area.

Elders of different tribes both in Tirah and Bara area recently rejected the possibility of the formation of peace committees or armed tribal lashkars against suspected militants, who infiltrated the valley in large numbers after June last year.

A Pakistan Army lieutenant colonel and three soldiers were martyred during a search operation in the valley on Nov 6. Armed militants have conducted several attacks against the security forces in different parts of Tirah since June last year.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2023