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Feud Over Tirah Exodus Deepens as Islamabad Denies Military Operation

The federal government calls the mass movement seasonal migration, a position fiercely contested by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leaders.

Overview

  • Local officials report roughly 70,000 people have left Tirah, with the PDMA saying 11,400 families are registered and the deadline extended to February 5.
  • Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and other federal ministers reiterate there is no large-scale operation, saying only intelligence-based actions continue and describing the movement as a long-standing winter migration.
  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi alleges residents were compelled to leave after decisions involving security commanders and has convened a grand jirga on February 1 to ask whether departures were voluntary.
  • Displaced families describe harsh conditions, including slow registration, exposure to cold, food shortages and travel hazards, as many queue for assistance in Bara and Peshawar.
  • The dispute has widened to accusations over a Rs4 billion relief package and governance failures, while residents cite mosque announcements in December, security fears and recent violence as triggers for leaving.