July 28, 2025
Staff Report
LAHORE
Following the killing of five protesters in the Tirah Valley, District Khyber, the situation remains tense. The killing occurred during a demonstration on Sunday July 27. The deaths have plunged the region into mourning, as local residents rally against both militant presence and heavy-handed security operations.
According to local journalists and tribal elders, the protest demonstration began in response to the tragic death of a 10-year-old girl from a mortar shell explosion on Saturday evening in the remote Peer Mela area. Eyewitnesses report that following the girl’s death, enraged residents carried her body to a security forces camp in Bagh Bazaar, demanding justice. The protest escalated when demonstrators reportedly threw stones and set a vehicle ablaze. In response, security forces allegedly opened fire, killing at least five people and injuring 16 others. No official confirmation of casualties has been made by the provincial government.
Incidentally, a statement from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office on Sunday said defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists were behind the incident as he expressed his grief over the “martyrdom of innocent and peaceful civilians”. The statement, carried by state-run Radio Pakistan and APP, did not mention any protest. He directed the authorities to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured. “The nefarious designs of terrorists cannot shake our resolve,” the premier asserted, reaffirming the government’s commitment to eliminate terrorists and terrorism.
However in separate posts on X, PTI lawmakers Amjad Iqbal and Meena Afridi rejected assertions that the protesters were killed by firing of terrorists.
PTI MNA Iqbal Afridi from NA-27 Khyber and MPA Abdul Ghani, while backing the protesters’ stance, have demanded a transparent judicial enquiry into the incident. The lawmakers and their supporters also held a protest at Bab-i-Khyber in Jamrud on Sunday against the shooting incident. In the aftermath, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed regret over the incident and announced compensation for the victims’ families.
‘CM is monitoring Tirah situation himself’
The KP government spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Said stated on Monday that the chief minister is in constant contact with the relevant administration. He said the KP chief minister was “monitoring” the Tirah incident himself. “The KP government is extremely saddened over the incident,” Saif added. “The provincial government is standing side by side with the affected families in this moment of sorrow and grief,” the official asserted.
Saif also slammed the KP opposition parties for not attending a multi-party conference (MPC) held last week over the security situation in the province, stressing that the moot had been organised “to prevent such incidents”. The statement recalled that the provincial government will be holding a series of jirgas with tribal elders next week, including one in Peshawar. This is also based on the MPC’s decision to convene a jirga comprising elders, parliamentarians and stakeholders from each district.
Tirah protesters end demonstration after talks with security officials
Following the shooting incident, a jirga between tribal elders and security officials was convened in Tirah on Sunday.
The tribal elders put forth five key demands in the negotiations including registration of a criminal case against personnel involved in the child’s death, evacuation of civilian homes occupied by security forces within 15 days, a ban on the use of drones over civilian areas, end to unwarranted harassment of citizens at security checkpoints and financial compensation for the families of those killed and injured.
Security officials agreed to provide Rs. 1.5 million for each deceased and Rs. 200,000 for each injured protester, along with free medical treatment for the wounded. However, they declined demands to file FIRs against personnel or vacate civilian homes. With partial demands met, the initial sit-in was called off.
Mass mobilisation toward militant strongholds
On Monday, the protest movement entered a new phase. Local sources reported that a large contingent of approximately 8,000 residents—led by tribal elder Haji Zahir Shah Afridi and including men, elders, youth, and children—began marching peacefully toward Bhuttan, the suspected militant stronghold. Protesters, carrying the Holy Quran on their heads, brought basic rations such as dry bread, water, and jaggery, signaling their commitment to a non-violent but resolute demonstration.
The central demand remains the peaceful expulsion of militant groups from the valley to restore sustainable peace. The protestors plan to first approach banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts in Bhuttan, followed by meetings with local militant leaders in Mochopura and Darrabi Khel to appeal for disengagement and peace.
PTI calls for military withdrawal
On July 28, the PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa organizational committee issued a sharp condemnation of the Tirah tragedy and ongoing military operations in the merged tribal districts. The party demanded the federal government revoke all notifications issued under Article 245 of the Constitution within 15 days and immediately withdraw military forces from these regions.
PTI lawmakers were instructed to introduce a resolution in the assembly, echoing these demands. Additionally, the KP Advocate General was directed to file an urgent appeal in the Supreme Court to lift the stay order from December 22, 2023, which suspended a Peshawar High Court ruling limiting Article 245’s scope.
The PTI committee also called for the formation of an independent inquiry commission comprising retired judges and respected civil society members, with a 30-day deadline to publish findings on the Tirah incident and other related events. The committee also called for mandatory FIR registration for every drone strike and state-led operation to ensure lawful criminal investigations.
The PTI provincial committee rejected the federal proposal to convert the Frontier Constabulary into a federal force, labeling it an attack on provincial autonomy. The committee insisted the FC’s provincial status must remain intact, and any changes must occur through mutual consultation.
Push for civilian oversight
The committee further urged the reinstatement of full police powers under the KP Police Act 2017 once Article 245 is lifted. It also advocated for the creation of district-level peace committees comprising elected representatives, tribal elders, religious scholars, women, and youth. The integration of Levies and Khasadar forces should be accelerated to establish a more sustainable and locally accepted peace framework. The resolution was unanimously passed, with the PTI organizational body pledging to utilize all available resources to ensure its full and effective implementation.