A Tirah militants meeting is planned as local elders aim to persuade banned groups to leave the valley. The jirga decision followed consultations with security officials including IG Frontier Corps Maj Gen Rao Imran Sartaj. Tribal elders agreed to take the lead in negotiations instead of using force.
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The meeting at FC Headquarters in Balahisar Fort included Peshawar Commissioner Riaz Mehsud and representatives from political parties. The IGFC warned that failure to remove militants could force security forces into a military operation. The elders requested time to negotiate before any action is taken.
Delegates opposed armed confrontation and suggested a representative jirga approach. They sought 10 days to meet local militant commanders and report back. Security forces agreed not to launch operations until the negotiations concluded.
A proposal for a grand jirga involving all major tribes and a visit to Kabul was discussed but rejected. Elders from Bara and Tirah preferred a focused approach to engage militant groups in their own valley. The move aims to restore stability without escalation.
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The decision comes after the September 22 Shadalay incident, where 21 people, including 18 from one family, died in an ammunition depot blast. Bara and Tirah elders left for Tirah on Friday to meet local heads of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-i-Islam, and the Hafiz Gul Bahadar group, hoping to end the Tirah militants threat peacefully.