Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday dismissed reports of an ongoing military operation in the Tirah Valley, stating that no such operation has taken place in the area for several years and that recent displacement is a routine, seasonal phenomenon linked to harsh winter conditions.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Information and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs Ikhtiar Wali Khan, the defence minister said migration from Tirah and other valleys along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border occurs every year during snowfall.
“During the winter season, people migrate from valleys located along the Pak-Afghan border. Migration from Tirah Valley also takes place annually. This is being unnecessarily portrayed as a crisis,” Asif said, adding that the situation was being exaggerated.
He confirmed that intelligence-based operations against terrorism continue in the area but stressed that these do not amount to a large-scale military operation or evacuation. “The area is not being cleared for any operation. The armed forces deployed there have nothing to do with this migration,” he said.
Asif revealed that around 400 to 500 members of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), along with their families, are present in Tirah Valley. He said members of a local jirga had held talks with the proscribed group on December 11, following which consultations were held with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister.
The defence minister said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had allocated Rs4 billion to support families migrating during the winter season. He added that a formal notification regarding relocation was issued after consultations between the provincial government and the local jirga, with plans to establish schools and police stations in the area.
Highlighting underlying tensions in the region, Asif claimed that illegal activities were a major factor. He said cannabis cultivation covered around 12,000 acres in Tirah Valley, generating substantial income and contributing to disputes.
Concluding his remarks, the defence minister said the government was prepared to take journalists to the Tirah Valley to observe the situation firsthand and counter misinformation.
