'No Army operation underway in Tirah Valley': Khawaja Asif dismisses displacement crisis claims

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that displacement in the Tirah Valley is a routine matter and accused the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of attempting to shift blame onto the military.

Addressing a press conference in the federal capital alongside Federal Minister Atta Tarar and Ikhtiar Wali Khan, Khawaja Asif said a notification was issued by the provincial government following consultations with a jirga.

He stated that the provincial government has allocated Rs4 billion for those affected by displacement, but efforts are being made to portray the situation as a crisis. He added that the notification was issued after mutual consultation between the provincial government and the jirga.

The defence minister said it was agreed in the jirga that schools and police stations would be established in the area, reiterating that displacement in the region is a normal occurrence. He further alleged that the interests of the provincial government are linked with the TTP.

Criticising the provincial government’s performance, Khawaja Asif said there are no hospitals, schools, or police stations in the area, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is placing the entire blame for its failures on the military. He stressed that the army has no involvement in the matter.

He said that people migrate from the area to other regions every year and that this is nothing unusual. According to him, the provincial government has failed to meet public expectations and is using various tactics to conceal its incompetence.

Khawaja Asif added that no large-scale military operation has been conducted in the Tirah Valley for many years, though intelligence-based operations continue. He emphasized that the jirga involving the provincial government and advisers has no connection with the military.