The Ministry of Information has said that neither the armed forces nor the federal government has issued any orders for the “depopulation” of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah Valley, where residents have been vacating their houses amid a planned military operation against militants.
“The government has taken notice of misleading claims in circulation regarding alleged ‘depopulation’ from Tirah Valley on the orders of the army.
“These assertions are baseless, malicious, and driven by ulterior motives aimed at creating alarm among the public. No directive has been issued for the depopulation of Tirah by the federal government and the armed forces,” a post on the ministry’s X account said on Sunday.
The ministry further maintained in its statement that law enforcement agencies had been routinely conducting “targeted, intelligence-based operations, strictly against terrorist elements, with full care to avoid disruption to civilian life, for which no migration is needed or being undertaken”.
“It may be noted that the local population is increasingly concerned over the presence of khawarij (a term that the state uses for terrorists) and desire peace and stability in Tirah,” the ministry said.
It recalled that the KP government’s Relief, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Department had issued a notification for the release of funds — reportedly Rs4 billion — on December 26, 2025.
The ministry said the purpose for the release of the funds was stated to be the “anticipated temporary and voluntary movement of population from certain localities of Tirah (Bagh)”. Moreover, the ministry continued, the provincial department had also “requested the facilitation of advance preparedness and relief-related arrangements, including transportation, food support, cash assistance, and establishment and management of transit and registration points”.
It further quoted the notification as stating that “the deputy commissioner, Khyber (where Tirah is located), has further conveyed that the proposed voluntary movement reflects the views and preferences of the local population, articulated through a representative jirga convened at the district level, taking into account seasonal, logistical and contextual considerations, as well as a on-camp based modality”.
“Hence, any stated position of the provincial government or their officials being conveyed to the media that the said migration has anything to do with the armed forces is false and fabricated, given with mala fide intent to gain political capital and, unfortunately, malign security institutions and, therefore, highly regrettable,” the ministry’s statement said.
While the ministry’s statement does not specifically refer to any statement by the KP government or its officials in particular, it comes against the backdrop of the PTI-led provincial government distancing itself from the developments in Tirah.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has repeatedly voiced his opposition to military operations, objecting to “decisions taken behind closed doors”.
He particularly mentioned Tirah in a post on social media platform X on January 15, alleging that the decision of “operation in Tirah and forced displacement of people was taken behind closed doors”.
The CM further alleged that “terrorism has been foisted on us” and “people are being forcibly displaced due to a military operation, the decision for which was taken behind closed doors”.
Tribal elders from the restive valley had agreed to the vacation of houses by its residents from January 10. The agreement was reached on December 20, 2025 after weeks of talks with security and administration officials.
Sources in a 24-member jirga that negotiated the agreement regarding displacement with the district administration had told media at the time that all residents would vacate the Tirah valley by January 25, 2026, paving the way for the militant operation against all proscribed terrorist groups currently holed up in the valley.
The federal government’s clarification today comes on the same day as the reported deadline of January 25 for evacuation.
Earlier this week, the Khyber district administration had suspended the evacuation process in view of the heavy snowfall, asking families to refrain from travelling to Bara until Friday evening due to the inclement weather. Meanwhile, heavy snowfall and a snowstorm had left scores of displaced families stranded on the road, following which a rescue operation was launched.
HRCP
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also issued a statement today, cautioning the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments that the “ongoing situation facing families displaced from Tirah Valley ahead of a military operation risks escalating into a humanitarian crisis”.
“Thousands have been reportedly stranded for days in sub-zero temperatures, with children, women, elderly persons and the sick exposed to severe cold without adequate shelter, food, water or medical assistance,” the HRCP said in a post on X.
“While rescue efforts are ongoing, these must be scaled up urgently to evacuate vulnerable groups, clear access routes and deliver winterised relief,” the statement added.
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