Web Desk: Tens of thousands of people remain displaced and uprooted from Pakistan’s Tirah Valley as authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa push ahead with evacuations under deteriorating security conditions and harsh winter weather, even as questions grow over aid distribution and the true scale of displacement.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority says the relocation drive began on January 10. About 11,400 families have been registered so far and more than 10,000 have moved to safer locations including Bara and Peshawar. On a single day this week, officials registered 1,719 families at five relief centers in Bara.
Controversy has erupted over 4 billion rupees allocated for rehabilitation. Displaced families say they paid for transport food and temporary shelter themselves and accuse authorities of inflating registration figures to divert funds. Calls for audits accountability and transparent data sharing are growing as public frustration mounts over unanswered questions surrounding the aid effort.
Each family is offered between 22,000 and 44,000 rupees for transport along with a monthly housing allowance of 50,000 rupees. However, heavy snowfall earlier this week stranded hundreds of families in trucks along the mountainous route, forcing authorities to launch rescue missions that freed at least 2,200 people.
Several people decided to relocate to Peshawar after receiving limited assistance. Insecurity linked to militant activity left families with few options but to leave. Many Displaced residents echoed concerns over security issues, saying they moved primarily to escape violence.
Meanwhile, Kamal-ud-Din, who heads a committee representing Tirah elders, said the provincial government agreed to dozens of demands, including advance payments of 250,000 rupees per family and compensation for damaged homes.
The displacement has sharpened tensions between federal and provincial authorities. Federal officials insist only targeted operations are under way and deny the need for mass evacuation, describing the movement as seasonal. The provincial government disputes that narrative, saying elders were pressured to leave despite severe weather.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has called a grand jirga of Khyber tribes this weekend to determine whether the displacement was voluntary or forced, framing the issue as one of rights and dignity.
