Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has categorically ruled out the possibility of a military operation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah Valley, insisting that the current displacement of families is not a crisis but rather a centuries-old seasonal migration. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarrar and PM’s Coordinator for KP Affairs Ikhtiar Wali Khan, Asif dismissed reports of forced evacuations, describing them as misrepresentations of a routine practice in which residents of several valleys move to warmer areas during the harsh winter months, leaving a few behind for security.

He explained that a jirga held in December with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had negotiated a Rs4 billion migration package with the provincial government, but stressed that the army had no involvement in the arrangement. Asif reiterated that the military had long abandoned full-scale operations in favor of intelligence-based operations to minimize civilian casualties, and that the army’s presence in Tirah was limited to defence purposes.

The minister criticized the KP government for failing to provide basic facilities such as hospitals, schools, and police stations in the region, accusing it of politicizing the issue and shifting blame onto the army. He argued that the migration was a historical practice dating back to the British Raj, citing evidence from gazetteers and historical texts that documented the Afridi and Akakhel tribes’ winter migrations.

Information Minister Tarrar backed Asif’s position, referencing 19th-century records that confirmed the seasonal movement of tribes in the area. Ikhtiar Wali Khan went further, alleging that the PTI government was exploiting the migration for political gain, turning it into a narrative to fuel protests while misusing funds allocated for camps.

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan called for unity against terrorism, warning that political divisions would only benefit militant groups. Speaking outside the Islamabad High Court, he emphasized that terrorism should not be politicized and urged both federal and provincial governments to protect citizens’ lives and property. He rejected the idea of negotiations with militants, insisting that they must be eliminated through all possible means.

The controversy highlights a deep rift between the federal and provincial governments over how to interpret the displacement in Tirah Valley—whether as a routine seasonal migration, as the federal government claims, or as a forced evacuation linked to security concerns, as suggested by the provincial leadership. At its core, the debate reflects broader tensions over governance, counterterrorism strategy, and political accountability in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.