KHYBER: A jirga of Bar Qambarkhel elders on Sunday announced to sternly resist any armed action either by the militants affiliated with Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or security forces on their soil.

The jirga was held at Bagh bazaar of Bar Qambarkhel area. Local elders Haji Wajid Khan, Kamalud Din Afridi, Haji Zahir Shah and others took serious exception to deteriorating law and order situation in the area in recent weeks. They showed concerns over kidnapping of innocent tribesmen by unidentified armed persons in different parts of Tirah.

The participants of jirga unanimously demanded of TTP members to leave their soil as they would not allow anyone to disturb peace of the region. They said that they would collectively defend their soil against any aggression either by militants or law enforcement agencies.

“We will not allow TTP men to roam around in our area while carrying arms. They would be disarmed prior to their entry to Bar Qambarkhel area,” they cautioned. The participants of jirga also resolved not to become a party to either terrorist groups or security forces as they were not in favour of any armed confrontation with any group or organisation.

Locals confirm movement of tanks in some areas

“We will not resort to picking up weapons as we deplore any armed confrontation but we reserve the right to self-defence if forced to do this,” said the elders.

They said that they would not vacate their houses in the name of a military operation in the valley and would instead defend their soil instead of allowing the forces to enter their villages.

They announced to burn the house of a person of their tribe and expel him from Tirah if he was found guilty of becoming a ‘source’ of either militants or security forces.

The elders also announced revival of the traditional and time tested ‘Sareshtha’, a dispute resolution council of tribal elders, to tackle the current situation and make contacts with other tribes for further consultations about restoration of peace in the valley.

The same jirga of Bar Qambarkhel elders had on Friday also demanded of local TTP leadership to hand them over the armed men, who had attacked the vehicle of Malak Zahir Shah on Thursday. The attack left a bodyguard of Malak Zahir Shah along with another local dead and a nephew of the tribal elder injured.

TTP later offered an apology to Bar Qambarkhel tribe, saying that the attack was carried out mistakenly. The apology was, however, rejected by the elders.

Meanwhile, residents of Lar Bagh, Bar Bagh and Butaan Sharif confirmed the movement of tanks in their areas along with enhanced patrolling by security forces.

They said that the increased presence of TTP militants, abduction of some locals on suspicion of spying for security forces and restriction of their movement in the nearby grazing grounds and forests had made them highly insecure. They were also apprehensive about the possible launch of another military operation.

More than 300 families from Sanda Pal, Miandad Kamar, Khapur, Ghulam Ali, Kandaw Kallay, Dwa Khulay, Jarrobi, Dray Naghari, Darota and Bagh-i-Haram were asked by security forces to vacate their houses in November last year after a surge in targeted attacks against forces by the suspected militants.

Security forces then conducted a number of targeted operations against militants in these areas while the displaced families were compelled to live in tents and partially destroyed houses in upper Bara with utter helplessness as they were yet to be recognised as registered internally displaced persons.

Representatives of these displaced families mostly hailing from Sipah, Kamarkhel, Zakhakhel and Akkakhel tribes contended that they were promised about their return within ‘few weeks’ but the promises was not fulfilled.

They said that a number of their houses, which they had reconstructed on self-help basis after their return in June 2022, were also targeted during the recent military operations.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2024