Defense Minister Khawaja Asif dispelled reports of a military operation in Tirah Valley on Tuesday, emphasizing that such operations have not occurred in the area for several years. He stated that recent displacement was due to seasonal harsh winter conditions and is part of a routine migration process. Asif noted that the Tirah Valley experiences extreme cold and lies at an altitude of approximately 17,000 feet, where residents regularly migrate during snowfall.
At a joint news conference in Islamabad with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Information and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs Ikhtiar Wali Khan, Asif acknowledged that migration is common in border valleys due to harsh winter conditions. He claimed that the federal government had allocated Rs4 billion for those affected by winter migration but accused local authorities of attempting to present the displacement as a crisis.
Asif highlighted that notifications were issued following consultations between the provincial government and local jirga members, who agreed on the establishment of schools and police stations in the area. He also mentioned that some jirga members had interacted with elements of the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) but emphasized that no military action had been conducted there for years.
Asif rebutted accusations by attributing any blame to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, which he claimed was attempting to shift responsibility onto either the army or a nonexistent operation. He criticized the provincial government’s use of Rs4 billion in migrant relief funds and questioned where these funds were actually spent.