December 23, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
Negotiations between the district administration and members of the Tirah Committee regarding a planned operation against militants in the Tirah Valley of Khyber district, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, have concluded successfully. Under the agreement, residents of the area will begin vacating their homes from January 10.
Ahead of the launch of a targeted operation against rising militancy in the Tirah Valley, which borders Afghanistan, local residents had presented 27 demands to the government and had agreed to relocate only after these demands were accepted. However, due to deteriorating security conditions, approximately 8,500 families had already been displaced before the agreement was reached.
On Sunday, a meeting was held between the district administration and a 24-member committee comprising tribal elders from various Tirah tribes. According to the committee members, most of their demands have been accepted. Speaking to Voicepk, Kamaluddin, head of the Tirah tribal committee and a participant in the negotiations, said that an agreement had been reached on the timeline for displacement of residents from the Maidan area. Under the plan, residents will relocate between January 10 and January 25.
He said the government will be responsible for providing transportation, food, and medicines to displaced families. Once the evacuation is completed, a targeted operation against militants will be launched in the area.
Kamaluddin further stated that an agreement had also been reached on compensation for houses damaged during the operation. According to the details of the compensation, owners of the completely destroyed houses will receive Rs3 million, while those with partially damaged houses will be compensated Rs1 million. In addition, each displaced family will receive Rs250,000 to cover relocation expenses and resettlement costs, along with a monthly stipend of Rs50,000 per household.
Earlier, the Bara Political Alliance and tribal groups from Tirah valley had been reluctant to agree to displacement, insisting that the issue be resolved through dialogue. To that end, they had held dozens of jirgahs with both sides of the conflict—the Taliban and the government of Pakistan—but these efforts failed to yield any results.
Senior journalist Farhad Shinwari from Khyber district told Voicepk that local residents and tribal elders had repeatedly held negotiations with the Taliban. “They even placed the Holy Quran on their heads and pleaded with them not to carry out attacks on security forces from within populated areas, as retaliatory actions by the state were causing harm to civilians,” he said.
He added that residents also had serious concerns regarding extortion (ushr) and other issues. At one point, the Taliban leadership council in Tirah had issued a written assurance on stamp paper, pledging to accept the legitimate demands of the local tribes. However, those assurances were later violated, leading to killings, harassment, and continued civilian suffering during security operations.
These claims were also confirmed by Kamaluddin, a member of the negotiating committee. He said dozens of jirgas were held with both the Taliban and the government in an attempt to restore peace, but all efforts failed. Meanwhile, the situation continued to deteriorate, forcing more than 8,000 families to flee their homes. “We ultimately agreed to displacement and entered negotiations with the administration to secure adequate financial assistance and proper arrangements for affected families. We also ensured that the displacement would be temporary and that conditions for an early return would be created,” he said, adding that their demands included the return of displaced families within two months.
According to Kamaluddin, no peace committee will be formed in the Maidan area after the operation, nor will any further military operations be conducted. Maintaining law and order will be the responsibility of the government. Other demands accepted include the establishment of tourist resorts in the Tirah Valley, provision of electricity and gas, resolution of water shortages, restoration of educational activities, establishment of a cadet college, and completion of under-construction hospitals.
Reiterating the displacement timeline, Kamaluddin said the period from January 10 to January 25 had been finalized, during which the government will ensure transportation, food supplies, and medical assistance for displaced families.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government has repeatedly opposed any military operation in the province through media talks and press conferences. However, it has remained silent on the situation in Tirah. To seek the provincial government’s stance, Voicepk correspondent contacted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA Muhammad Iqbal Afridi and Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Shafi Jan, but no response was received. Kamaluddin, however, claimed that the chief minister was on board with the decision.
It is important to note that following the establishment of the Afghan Taliban’s interim government in Afghanistan, militancy has resurged in Khyber district and the Tirah Valley, similar to other merged districts. Pakistani officials attribute this to the valley’s proximity to the Afghan border, alleging that militants cross over from Afghanistan to carry out attacks in Pakistan and then return to hide there. Pakistan has repeatedly raised this issue with the Afghan Taliban, who deny the presence of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants on their soil.
It is worth recalling that from 2014 to 2017, several military operations—Khyber-I, Khyber-II, Khyber-III, and Khyber-IV—were conducted in Tirah and other parts of Khyber district, after which authorities had claimed to have eliminated militant presence from the area.