On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif denied any operation was planned or underway in Tirah, calling the movement a routine seasonal migration driven by harsh winter conditions.
However, a Pakistani military source with knowledge of the matter said the relocation followed months of consultations involving tribal elders, district officials and security authorities over the presence of militants in Tirah, who they said were operating among civilian populations and pressuring residents.
The source asked to remain unidentified as they are not authorised to speak to the media.
The source said civilians were encouraged to temporarily leave to reduce the risk of harm as “targeted intelligence-based operations” continued, adding there had been no build-up for a large-scale offensive due to the area’s mountainous terrain and winter conditions.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi earlier this week said his government had not been consulted on the relocation or any security operation in Tirah, describing the decisions as closed-room moves taken without provincial input.
He rejected federal claims that residents were returning voluntarily due to snowfall, saying families were being displaced under the pretext of a security operation despite extreme winter conditions.
Pakistan’s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the interior ministry and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government did not respond to requests for comment made on Friday.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/northwest-pakistan-evacuations-possible-military-action-tirah-valley-5898071
