KHYBER: Tirah Qaumi Jirga (TQJ) announced on Tuesday to hold a protest demonstration in Islamabad if locals were forced to vacate their houses in the name of restoration of peace.

A meeting of TQJ was held in Bagh-Markaz in the aftermath of killing of two kidnapped Tirah traders by terrorists in the first week of February.

The meeting was attended by tribal elders of all major Tirah tribes alongside representatives of different political parties and local traders in a large number.

The TQJ leaders pledged to resist any move to forcefully displace people from their houses and instead warned to establish a protest camp in Islamabad while refusing to relocate to temporary camps established for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

TQJ also announced that none of the Tirah tribe would raise any tribal Lashkar or peace committee nor would locals pick up arms against any prescribed organisation as restoration of peace was the responsibility of the state.

“We want durable peace in our region rather aligning ourselves with either the security forces or any militants group,” said participants of the meeting. They, however, formed a committee comprising four members each from every local tribe that would be authorised to hold talks with both security forces and militant groups to prevent any bloodshed.

It also demanded of the government to provide facilities to residents of the valley at the pattern of big cities like Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar while ensuring speedy establishment of schools and health centres.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2025