No question of military operation in Tirah:  Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said that there was no question of a military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah, insisting that migration was a routine practice in the valley.

Asif made these remarks during a press conference in Islamabad, where he was flanked by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Information and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs Ikhtiar Wali Khan.

The press conference came two days after the federal and provincial governments traded barbs over who authorised the evacuation process after hundreds of Tirah residents vacated their homes ahead of planned military action against terrorists.

The evacuations, which were carried out in line with a plan agreed upon by all stakeholders — including local elders, the provincial government and the military — seem to have become a bone of contention after the displaced populace found themselves stranded in cold weather under open skies, with mismanagement by the authorities only adding to their troubles.

At the outset of the press conference, the defence minister said members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had been residing in Tirah with their families. “They are around 400-500 in number,” he said.

The defence minister further stated that the provincial government had approved a package of Rs4 billion for the people of Tirah, who were to migrate.

“The armed forces deployed in that area have nothing to do with it. This is an arrangement between the jirga and the provincial government, and as a result of that, this notification was issued,” he added, holding up a notification that he said was issued by the KP government. Staff Report