CM Soheil Afridi opposes Tirah military action, cites forced displacement in snowfall
Peshawar, Pakistan – Web Desk: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Soheil Afridi has strongly opposed the ongoing military operation in Tirah Valley, accusing authorities of forcing residents to abandon their homes during harsh winter conditions marked by heavy snowfall.
In a detailed statement, the chief minister said the Afridi tribe never consented to the evacuation plan but was compelled to leave their ancestral homes at a time when survival itself is difficult. “The area where the operation is underway is so severely affected by snowfall that even animals cannot survive,” Afridi stated, calling the displacement inhumane and unjustified.
Recalling recent political developments, Afridi said that after the removal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s elected government through what he termed a “regime change operation,” insecurity returned across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said peace jirgas and marches were organized from Khyber to Hazara, Malakand, Dera Ismail Khan, and Waziristan to warn against the resurgence of militancy, but these warnings were dismissed as propaganda by the then PDM-led federal government.
Afridi argued that districts where public resistance was strong continue to enjoy relative peace, while areas that ignored the warnings are once again facing instability. He maintainedsaid closed-door decisions have not only fueled insecurity but also damaged the economy, forcing investors and youth to seek opportunities abroad.
The chief minister questioned the logic of launching another operation when more than 22 major and over 14,000 intelligence-based operations previously failed to eliminate militancy. He noted that a 15-point agenda unanimously approved by a grand jirga at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly had clearly rejected military operations as a solution.
Afridi said a 24-member committee led by the Corps Commander and IG Frontier Corps was formed, which instructed Afridi elders to vacate their homes, alleging militant activity. Despite objections, residents were forced to leave in peak winter conditions. He rejected claims that evacuations were voluntary, calling an official press release to that effect “dangerous” and a deliberate attempt to create mistrust between institutions, the province, and the federation.
Announcing a grand jirga on Sunday at Jamrud Football Stadium, Afridi said tribal elders would publicly testify whether they left voluntarily or under coercion. “We will show the world the injustice being done to our people,” he declared.
The chief minister revealed that the provincial government has released Rs4 billion for displaced families, citing past failures where compensation promises remained unfulfilled. “The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are not expendable. Their blood is not cheap,” he said, vowing to stand with the Pashtun people “until the last drop of blood.”
