KHYBER: The second round of negotiations between a jirga from Khyber tribal district and banned terrorist groups ended inconclusively in Tirah valley here on Tuesday, sources say.
The decision about talks with Tirah-based terrorist outfits was made during a meeting between a tribal jirga and inspector general of the Frontier Corps in Peshawar on Oct 2 following the Sept 2 deaths of 21 people in Shadaly village of the valley.
The first round of dialogue was held in Tirah on Oct 13 in which the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan demanded Sharia enforcement in the country along with a permission for its men to move in the erstwhile Fata without hindrance.
At least three outlawed groups, including Lashkar-i-Islam (LI), Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group and Jamaatul Ahrar had refused to meet the jirga on Oct 13.
Jirga members to brief senior security, govt officials about parleys
The 80-strong jirga travelled to Tirah early on Tuesday and were to select a group of 12 senior members for talks. However, they were told that the situation was not favourable for the entire “entourage”going beyond Bagh-Maidan to meet leaders of terrorist groups, so the number should be reduced for security reasons.
Some jirga members told media that their first encounter with LI, Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group and Jamaatul Ahrar leaders was not very productive as the three groups struck to their early demand of Sharia enforcement in the entire country and refused to agree to a ceasefire with security forces.
They said the three groups exhibited “utter stubbornness” while refusing to care about the wellbeing and safety of the local population in case of a large-scale military operation.
Sources said the visitors tried to persuade terrorist commanders to leave the valley to prevent ordinary tribesmen from being affected the most,but to no avail. They added that the government had rejected the demands and was “weighing options” to start a full-scale military operation against them.
The sources said the LI men insisted that they belonged to the same area and won’t go anywhere no matter what the government wanted to do against them. The Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group and Jamaatul Ahrar adopted a “tough”stand against security forces.
However, sources claimed that the jirga’s talks with TTP representatives were held in a cordial atmosphere, with the latter seeking time to consult their senior commanders on the “sufferings of the ordinary people due to their presence in Tirah.”
They added that the visitors told the representatives of outlawed groups in plain words that they had come not to negotiate the acceptance or otherwise of their earlier demands and had turned up to plead for the safety of the local population saying those outfits’ presence was detrimental to the region’s collective peace.
The sources said that the jirga members were not quite optimistic about any breakthrough in talks as they had judged during the two rounds of the parlays that terrorist commanders were not in a position to make decisions on their own as they’re being controlled from “somewhere else.”
The jirga members came back to Bara on Tuesday evening and will meet senior security and government officials to convey to them the outcome of the two sessions of jirgas in Tirah.
Meanwhile, a minor girl lost life in an exchange of fire between a group of TTP-affiliated terrorists and a “so-called” peace committee in Pir Mela locality of Tirah valley on Wednesday.
Also in the day, the Frontier Corps Wing-101 Khyber Rifles, in collaboration with Afridi Youth Welfare Foundation, organised an event to promote peace in the region and prepare local youth for future leadership responsibilities.
Wing Commander Lt Col Iftekhar stressed the need for youth’s character building and better education.
“Youths are a precious asset of the nation, so utilisation of their talent will put the country on the path to development and prosperity,” he said.
Additional deputy commissioner Gul Nawaz Afridi said development of the nation was directly linked with youth’s hard work, dedication and positive thinking.
He insisted that local youth didn’t lack talent, so the district administration was taking tangible steps to empower them and enable them to shoulder leadership responsibilities.
Published in media, October 23rd, 2025
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