ISLAMABAD – A deepening humanitarian crisis in Tirah ignited fierce political showdown between the federal government and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) administration, as hundreds of residents flee their homes amid heavy snowfall and a planned security operation in the tribal district.
The whole situation intensified as KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi declared that residents were “forced” to leave Tirah Valley, a claim strongly rejected by federal authorities, who insist no evacuation orders were ever issued.
CM Afridi said provincial government did not evacuate residents and stressed that they were compelled to leave due to circumstances beyond its control. He warned that if the operation was not halted within the next two to three days, the KP government would formulate its own strategy.
Afridi also sought to distance his party from accusations of hostility toward the military, saying it respected the armed forces and state institutions but opposed what it described as political interference.
On other hand, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal demanded answers from provincial government over displacement, saying the federal government neither ordered nor appealed for the evacuation of civilians.
Minister cited an official clarification from Ministry of Information denying reports of large-scale military operation in Tirah, warning that linking the civilian movement to the armed forces was deliberate misinformation. He placed responsibility for law and order squarely on KP government, accusing it of failing to protect its own citizens.
KP government must decide whether it stands with terrorists or with the people of Pakistan, Iqbal said, launching a blistering attack on the PTI-led provincial administration. He accused it of running sustained campaigns against state institutions and showing sympathy toward extremist elements.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the federal government had taken serious notice of what he described as a false and misleading narrative surrounding Tirah. He reiterated that associating the evacuation with the military was factually incorrect and deeply misleading.
As political tempers flared, conditions on the ground continued to deteriorate. Families fleeing the Maidan area have been left stranded on snow-choked roads in freezing temperatures, with the humanitarian emergency worsening by the hour.
The displacement started on January 9 ahead of a security operation expected to last nearly two months, while rehabilitation and the return of residents are scheduled to begin from April 5.
Massive snowfall blocked Miraban–Tirah Valley Road, while major routes across KP including Kaghan-Naran, Battal and the Lowari Tunnel, have also been closed. Snow accumulation has further crippled road access in Buner, Swat, Chitral, Lower Dir and Kolai-Palas, forcing authorities to deploy heavy machinery for clearance operations.
Rescue 1122 said emergency response efforts were in full swing in Tirah, with 103 personnel deployed from Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera and Khyber districts. So far, more than 25 vehicles carrying at least 65 stranded people have been rescued, with operations expanding as snowfall continues.
