Sohail Afridi says he will convene a jirga if alleged notice on Tirah Valley evacuation is not withdrawn or apologised
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi addresses party workers at the Baizai Bypass in Malakand. SCREENGRAB
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday warned that a federal notification regarding Tirah Valley could lead to confrontation between the provincial government and state institutions, saying he would convene a Pashtun jirga if the notification was not withdrawn and an apology issued.
Addressing a rally in Mingora, he rejected the alleged notification’s claim that residents of Tirah Valley had migrated voluntarily. He said a jirga of the Afridi tribe would be convened to determine whether the displacement was forced or voluntary.
“If the claim is proven false, I will personally take my people back to Tirah, God willing,” he said, adding that if the issue remained unresolved, he would later convene a jirga of the entire Pashtun nation.
Afridi also criticised individuals holding press conferences in Peshawar, allegedly from Islamabad, who had declared his appointment as chief minister “unacceptable”. He asserted that no institution had the authority to interfere in politics or object to his appointment. “My leader gave me this position, and no one has the right to object,” he said.
The chief minister claimed that multiple attempts had been made to prevent him from assuming office, including efforts to build political narratives against him and allegations linking him to terrorism.
“When all these failed, three options were presented: governor’s rule, my disqualification, or regime change. When those failed, the final option was to kill me,” he alleged.
Referring to his early days in office, he said he had attended funerals of army and Frontier Corps personnel after receiving official messages. However, he claimed that such invitations later stopped, alleging the move was intended to damage Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s image.
Criticising the federal notification, Afridi said it amounted to a “warrant for confrontation” and had eroded whatever limited trust remained between the provincial government and institutions.
He said all future dealings with the federal government would be conducted with documented evidence to prevent decisions made “behind closed doors” from being imposed later. “We will not accept any plan made behind closed doors,” he said. “We rebel against such decisions — we are all rebels.”
Meanwhile, the federal government dismissed reports about a notification allegedly ordering the depopulation of Tirah Valley, calling them misleading and malicious. In a statement after midnight on Saturday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said no such directive had been issued by the federal government or the armed forces.
It further said law enforcement agencies were carrying out routine, intelligence-based operations against militant elements while ensuring minimal disruption to civilian life, reiterating that no depopulation or forced migration was underway.
K-P steps up relief for Tirah IDPs
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has intensified efforts to facilitate families displaced from Tirah Valley by expanding registration facilities and ensuring the provision of basic services as migration continues amid harsh winter conditions.
To expedite assistance, four additional registration points have been activated to ensure timely and smooth access to relief. The steps were highlighted during a visit to IDP camps by former interior minister and MNA Shehryar Afridi, MNAs Iqbal Afridi and Shandana Gulzar, and MPAs Abdul Ghani Afridi and Sher Ali Afridi.
The representatives reviewed conditions at the camps, met affected families, provided financial assistance, and assured them of continued support. They directed relevant departments to ensure prompt and effective relief without any lapses.
Assistant Commissioner Bara Talha Rafiq told The Express Tribune that registration of nearly 9,000 families from Tirah Valley has been completed so far. On Sunday alone, 1,050 families were registered at four points in Bara, 461 at Takia Point Bar Qambar Khel, 257 at Qambar Abad Shalobar, 267 at Badshah Khan School Malik Din Khel, and 332 at Painda Cheena Zakhakhel. A day earlier, 866 families were registered at the same locations.
He added that new registration points for Kamar Khel and Adam Khel tribes would become operational from Saturday to further speed up the process. The main road from Larbagh in Tirah Valley to Painda Cheena and Bara has been cleared of snow and reopened for traffic, allowing migration to continue.
However, difficulties were reported at four locations—Nangrosa, Sandana, Dwa Toi Charai, and Tand Bridge—where tractors and excavators have been deployed to assist vehicles carrying IDPs. All stranded persons and vehicles have since been rescued.
Due to the likelihood of further snowfall until January 27, authorities have extended the migration deadline to February 5. Residents have been advised to stay put for two days, though no one has been forcibly stopped. Cooked food is being provided to IDPs along the Painda Cheena–Dwa Toi road, while a truck loaded with food supplies has reached Larbagh to support those still in Tirah.
Meanwhile, amid worsening law and order and rising displacement, a representative jirga was held in Bara under former federal minister Hamidullah Jan Afridi. The jirga demanded complete and transparent registration of all affected families, an end to alleged discrimination against Tirah Afridi tribes, a halt to further displacement, and strict avoidance of political interference.
It called for the fulfillment of the government’s pledge to facilitate returns from April 1, fair compensation for all losses, declaration of Bara and Tirah as affected areas, reopening of closed routes, uninterrupted supply of essentials, and public disclosure of all disbursed funds. The jirga announced a larger meeting on February 8 to finalize a future course of action.
