No orders issued for ‘depopulation’ of Tirah: Info Ministry

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information has said that neither the armed forces nor the federal government has issued any orders for the “depopulation” of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah Valley, where residents have been vacating their houses amid a planned military operation against militants.

“The government has taken notice of misleading claims in circulation regarding 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. No directive has been issued for the depopulation of Tirah by the federal government and the armed forces,” a post on the ministry’s X account said on Sunday.

The ministry further maintained in its statement that law enforcement agencies had been routinely conducting “targeted, intelligence-based operations, strictly against terrorist elements, with full care to avoid disruption to civilian life, for which no migration is needed or being undertaken”.

“It may be noted that the local population is increasingly concerned over the presence of khawarij (a term that the state uses for terrorists) and desire peace and stability in Tirah,” the ministry said.

It recalled that the KP government’s Relief, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Department had issued a notification for the release of funds — reportedly Rs4 billion — on December 26, 2025.

The ministry said the purpose for the release of the funds was stated to be the “anticipated temporary and voluntary movement of population from certain localities of Tirah (Bagh)”. Moreover, the ministry continued, the provincial department had also “requested the facilitation of advance preparedness and relief-related arrangements, including transportation, food support, cash assistance, and establishment and management of transit and registration points”.

It further quoted the notification as stating that “the deputy commissioner, Khyber (where Tirah is located), has further conveyed that the proposed voluntary movement reflects the views and preferences of the local population, articulated through a representative jirga convened at the district level, taking into account seasonal, logistical and contextual considerations, as well as a on-camp based modality”.

“Hence, any stated position of the provincial government or their officials being conveyed to the media that the said migration has anything to do with the armed forces is false and fabricated, given with mala fide intent to gain political capital and, unfortunately, malign security institutions and, therefore, highly regrettable,” the ministry’s statement said.

While the ministry’s statement does not specifically refer to any statement by the KP government or its officials in particular, it comes against the backdrop of the PTI-led provincial government distancing itself from the developments in Tirah.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also reiterated the clarification while speaking to reporters in Kot Momin later in the day.

He asserted that people “relocate voluntarily” every year when the winter weather gets harsh.

Stressing that any operations conducted are intelligence-based and “area-specific”, Tarar said, “Those elements giving the impression that it is a forced evacuation are giving a wrong impression and spreading misinformation.”

Asked about the objections raised by KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Tarar advised him to “pay attention to the public’s issues”.

“Establish Safe City [project], CTD force and forensic labs, make people’s lives easier, improve law and order, counter terrorism,” the minister said. “Put all resources to use is my advice to him.”

KP CM Afridi has repeatedly voiced his opposition to military operations, objecting to “decisions taken behind closed doors”. Staff Report