Pakistan denies reports of forced 'depopulation' in Tirah Valley

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting denied on Sunday reports that the army has ordered the depopulation of the northwestern Tirah Valley ahead of a planned anti-militant offensive, saying any movement of residents is voluntary.

In a statement, the ministry said the government had taken notice of what it called misleading claims about alleged “depopulation” from Tirah Valley on the orders of the army.

“These assertions are baseless, malicious, and driven by ulterior motives aimed at creating alarm among the public,” the statement said, adding that the claims were intended to spread disinformation against security institutions and serve vested political interests.

The ministry said no directive had been issued by the federal government or the armed forces for the depopulation of Tirah Valley.

It said law enforcement agencies were conducting targeted, intelligence-based operations strictly against “terrorist elements,” with full care to avoid disruption to civilian life, and that no depopulation or forced migration was needed or being undertaken.

The statement added that the local population was increasingly concerned over the presence of Khwarij (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) and desired peace and stability in Tirah.

The ministry cited a notification issued on Dec. 26, 2025, by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s Relief, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Department for the release of funds — reportedly PKR 4 billion — for the anticipated temporary and voluntary movement of people from certain localities of Tirah, including Bagh.

According to the document, the funds were meant to facilitate advance preparedness and relief arrangements, including transportation, food support, cash assistance, and the establishment and management of transit and registration points.

The notification said the deputy commissioner of Khyber had conveyed that the proposed voluntary movement reflected the views and preferences of the local population, articulated through a representative jirga convened at the district level, and took into account seasonal, logistical and contextual considerations, as well as a non-camp-based modality.

The ministry said any suggestion by provincial officials that the movement was linked to the armed forces was false and fabricated, alleging it was conveyed with malafide intent to gain political capital and malign security institutions.

The government’s denial comes as residents of Tirah Valley in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, flee their homes ahead of a planned military operation against militants, particularly the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan group.

Despite major military operations in the mid-2010s, Tirah Valley has remained a stronghold for insurgents, prompting authorities to plan what they describe as a targeted clearance.

Earlier this month, Nukta reported on the experience of Muhammad Yaseen, a 50-year-old resident displaced by the fighting.

Yaseen recalled fleeing amid gunfire, falling bombs and shelling. “Even the walls of our own home offered no sanctuary,” he said.

He was later seen standing in a long queue at a relief distribution point in Mandi Kas in Khyber district, waiting for assistance in winter conditions alongside hundreds of others displaced by the latest violence.

“This is not our first exile,” Yaseen said, describing repeated cycles of displacement following earlier military offensives in the region.

Authorities estimate that more than 25,000 people have already been displaced from the mountainous Tirah Valley, with the number expected to rise to 150,000 by Jan. 25.

Another displaced resident, Hayatullah, said his family spent four to five days on the road, staying in vehicles. He said authorities had promised rent assistance and compensation but that none had yet been received.

“Iqbal Afridi, a lawmaker from Khyber district representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said elected representatives had not been taken into confidence regarding reports of a military operation or the resulting displacement.

Speaking to Nukta, Afridi described the operation as a “forced operation” and said his party did not accept political responsibility for it. He added that displaced families were “their own people” and said the provincial government would provide assistance.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has publicly said it was unaware of any such operation and had not approved it. At the same time, the province’s finance department has released PKR 4 billion in assistance for those displaced from Tirah Valley, according to an official notification.

District officials and tribal elders said a formal evacuation plan had been put in place following consultations with a jirga of Tirah Valley representatives.

Under the plan, evacuations began on Jan. 10 and are expected to continue until Jan. 25. Authorities have said the phased return of displaced families would begin about two months after military operations conclude.

The compensation package includes a one-time payment of PKR 250,000 per displaced family and a monthly assistance of PKR 50,000. It also provides PKR 3 million for fully destroyed homes and PKR 1 million for partially damaged houses, subject to post-operation assessments.

Unrest in Tirah Valley has persisted for years, with militant groups including the TTP and Lashkar-e-Islam maintaining a presence despite repeated military operations in 2008 and 2014 that triggered large-scale displacement.

Since 2020, targeted operations have continued to keep security fragile, with recent incidents — including the shooting of protesters, an alleged airstrike and an increase in militant attacks — cited by authorities as the trigger for the latest operation.