Eight months ago, the provincial government and law-enforcement agencies jointly concluded that the growing presence of Khwarij in Tirah held the local population hostage, using civilian cover to carry out nefarious acts of terrorism and coercion of the population. The population was requested to either evict the terrorists from amongst them or relocate themselves so that the LEAs could operate without threat of colllateral damage.
Elders of Tirah decided that a temporary displacement of the population was necessary so the area could be cleared through targeted operations.
Despite this consensus publically reached between all sides in the presence of notables, Govt Functionaries and FC, the provincial government deliberately delayed implementation with clear mala fide intent. The issue was pushed into the winter months to manufacture a victimhood narrative, while simultaneously giving the drug mafia sufficient time to sell their produce and prepare the next crop.
Finally on 31 December 2025, KP government itself approved temporary displacement of people and allocated Rs 4 Billion for the purpose. People were to leave the area by 15 January under supervision of the local administration/ government.
Despite this, the Administration deliberately deployed an insufficient number of registration counters and staff at the exit points of Tirah, creating chaos and long queues. These avoidable administrative bottlenecks were then amplified to manufacture visuals of distress and generate a political narrative.
Management of temporarily displaced persons is entirely the responsibility of the provincial government. Registration, camps, food, health facilities, compensation, and logistics do not fall under the Army’s mandate. The military has no role at registration points, yet provincial failures are conveniently being projected as military failure.
For nearly eight months, the LEAs had been urging the provincial government to evacuate civilians due to Tirah’s difficult geography, which allows militants to easily mix with the local population. The government delayed action not out of concern for civilians but to protect illegal interests, particularly the drug economy operating in the area.
The timing of displacement exposes the real motive
Evacuation was delayed until the narcotics crop was harvested and profits secured.
Once that phase ended, movement was suddenly permitted. This directly undermines PTI’s claim of humanitarian concern and exposes the economic incentives behind the delay.
Now CM and his team are minting money from the allocated 4 Billion. This chaos is manifestation of this corruption.
Depopulation was sought to minimize collateral damage and enable precise, intelligence-based operations.
Had civilians not been evacuated, the same political actors would have accused the Army of endangering lives. This entire episode reflects governance failure, not humanitarian collapse. Administrative incompetence is being masked through emotional rhetoric, while civilian suffering is being politicized to deflect from the provincial government’s own decisions and negligence.
PTI is deliberately trying to reframe a security and law-enforcement operation as a so-called humanitarian crisis. Temporary displacement during counter-terrorism operations is a globally accepted practice aimed at protecting civilians and reducing casualties. Labeling it as collective punishment is intellectually dishonest and politically motivated.