KHYBER: The residents of Tirah took serious exception to ‘unauthorised intrusion’ of an armed group from Bazaar-Zakhakhel area into the valley to spread fear among them with open display of lethal weapons.

Scores of Tirah residents, who were holding white flags, held a protest demonstration at Lar-Bagh Malakdinkhel Markaz, the valley’s main business centre. They also chanted slogans against the law enforcement agencies for their failure to stop armed men from entering the local market and roaming around in different parts of the valley.

Speakers in the protest demonstration questioned as to how scores of armed men managed to enter Tirah while locals could not carry even a knife while passing through various checkposts.

They said that they would not allow anyone to disturb the hard earned peace of Tirah at any cost no matter how powerful those people were.

Say they will not allow anyone to disturb hard-earned peace in the area

A group of the protesting tribal elders later met with the local security officials and convey to them their serious reservations about the entry of armed men belonging to a so-called peace committee from Bazaar-Zakhakhel area into the valley.

A local elder, who was present on the occasion, told Dawn that the security officials termed the ‘incident’ a misunderstanding as they too were conveyed a message that the Bazaar-Zakhakhel peace committee activists would come to Tirah without arms.

The elders, who wished not to be named, said that security officials promised that the matter would be discussed at ‘high’ level and would ensure that no such incident took place again.

Earlier, on Monday evening, video clips of heavily armed Bazaar-Zakhakhel peace committee volunteers went viral on social media that invited immediate anger and resentment of Tirah and Bara residents.

At first sight, local residents mistook the armed men as Taliban while a local resident, filming their ‘parade’ at Lar-Bagh Markaz and speaking in the back ground, said that Taliban had once again entered Tirah.

Sources in Tirah told Dawn by telephone that more than 24 armed men affiliated with the so-called Bazaar-Zakhakhel peace committee had come to Tirah to settle an issue related to narcotics trade.

They said that the armed men had not informed local elders about their visit to the valley, which was a violation of the local customs and traditions.

Haji Sher Mohammad, president of Tirah Tajir Union, too was not happy with the open display of sophisticated weapons by the Zakhakhel armed men at local market place. He said that the unlawful action had both angered and disappointed locals in general and traders in particular.

He said that such brazen display of weapons by an armed group could again disturb the peace of the valley while their trade would also be affected as Eidul Fitr was approaching.

He said that people of Tirah reserved the right to question the ability of the law enforcement agencies for their failure to check the unauthorised movement of such armed groups.

The so-called Bazaar-Zakhakhel peace committee is a splinter group of banned Lashkar-i-Islam, which was considered a sign of terror in Khyber from 2005 to 2012.

The group dissociated itself from LI around 2007-8 after developing differences with its chief Mangal Bagh and named itself as Tauheedul Islam. The two rival groups then fought some fierce battles against each other, which claimed lives of more than 100 people from both sides.

Tauheedul Islam later struck a deal with the security forces and transformed its self into a peace committee while taking control of the important and lucrative trade route passing through Bazaar-Zakhakhel tribal region. The group is still instrumental in controlling the entire area and outsiders cannot enter the region without its permission.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2023