January 9, 2025
By Islam Gul
KHYBER
The formal displacement process from Tirah Valley began on January 5, but the registration system has been severely disrupted by technical failures and administrative gaps. On the first day, registration could not start due to lack of internet and other facilities, and by the third day, the situation had shown little improvement.
Night on the roads in severe cold
Outside the registration center established at Painda Cheena on Tirah’s main highway, 60 kilometers west of Bara Bazaar, long queues of vehicles loaded with belongings stood waiting. These vehicles carried women, children, and livestock, all of whom spent the night under the open sky in severe cold.
Forty-year-old Zubair Khan, who belongs to the Bar Qambar Khel tribe, spent the night at Doi Toi, a few kilometers from the registration center, where tokens are issued to displaced families.
“Women, children, elderly people, and livestock spent the night in the vehicles. There were no arrangements for food, water, or protection from the cold,” Zubair Khan said. “We reached the registration center early in the morning, but by two o’clock in the afternoon, the registration process had still not started.”
Technical failures and administrative vacuum
Frustrated displaced persons forcibly entered the center, but the process remained slow due to technical problems with NADRA’s system. There were no proper arrangements for information and guidance at the center, and the head of each homeless family was scrambling to complete registration as quickly as possible.
District officials present at the registration center said technical issues with NADRA’s system have affected the registration process, and efforts are being made at higher levels to restore it. According to officials, the addresses of other areas are registered on the identity cards of people displaced from the valley, which is causing problems in registration.
Government promises and ground realities
“The government had promised to provide better facilities to displaced persons, but people are facing severe problems at the registration center. We are talking to the relevant authorities, but the affected people are extremely agitated and it is difficult to reason with themm” said Malik Shah, representative of the Adam Khel tribe on the 24-member committee from Tirah Valley.
“The first major problem for displaced people is leaving their homes, and there is no greater injustice than forcing women and children out of their homes in this severe cold,” he added.
Displacement beyond expectations
An official present at the registration center, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed: “Many times more people are being displaced from Tirah Valley than the estimates that were made, which means the government will need to make additional arrangements.”
He explained that under the agreement, the formal registration process was to begin on January 10, but people are leaving before the scheduled date. “Yesterday, tokens were issued to 700 families at Doi Toi, but due to running out of paper and late night, 3,000 families were sent to the registration center without tokens.”
The official added: “District and security authorities have identified areas in NADRA’s system where military operations will take place, but registration in the system is not possible because addresses of other areas are recorded on local people’s identity cards. The process of high-level discussions is ongoing, however, some influential people are trying to get their tribal members registered quickly and by any means, and are trying to influence this process.”
Last night, a vehicle carrying a displaced family from Tirah overturned at Nari Baba, killing three people and injuring two.
Second displacement
This is the second displacement from Tirah Valley due to insecurity. In 2013, local people migrated to Peshawar, Kohat, Hangu, and other areas, staying in rented houses, camps, or with relatives due to operations against militant groups established in the area. A year later, the phased return of displaced persons began, but a large number of people’s homes were destroyed, agricultural land became barren, and basic facilities were badly affected.
At the end of 2021, the cycle of insecurity began again in Tirah Valley, and a few weeks ago, a 24-member committee of local elders formally agreed with security and district authorities regarding displacement.
Political context
The provincial ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, appears to be strongly opposed to military operations in Tirah Valley. However, yesterday the area’s Member of Provincial Assembly, Abdul Ghani Afridi, visited the registration center.
Recently, military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry took a position in a press briefing regarding the ongoing military operation in Tirah, along with other security issues in the country, stating that the provincial government has not only failed to prevent the ongoing insecurity in the area but is also becoming an obstacle to military operations being carried out to establish peace.
Agreement details
According to jirga members, the formal displacement from Tirah Valley will begin on January 10, and the entire area will be evacuated by January 25. Sources say that after the conclusion of military operations, the phased return of affected persons will begin after April 5.
Under the agreement in the first phase, vehicle rent will be paid in cash, Rs 3 million compensation will be given for houses completely destroyed during military operations, Rs 1 million compensation in case of partial damage, each affected family will be provided with cash assistance of Rs 250,000 through JazzCash or Easypaisa after biometric verification and Rs50,000 rupees will also be given on a monthly basis.
Registration status
According to district officials of Khyber District, tokens have been issued to 5,000 displaced families from November 10 to January 8 for registration. Officials said that the registration process for the majority of them has been completed.
However, ground realities indicate that the registration process is still facing problems and displaced families are suffering from severe difficulties.