MOHMAND: More than 100 families have left border areas in the Khwezai tehsil here during the last three days as authorities ordered them to shift to safer places following continuous mortar shelling from across the border.

“We have ordered evacuation from around 80 houses in border areas, especially for the safety of children, women and livestock,” an official of the district administration told Dawn on Thursday.

He said mortar shells had been fired from Afghanistan for the last three days.

“The shells landed in the Faqirabad and Mamad Kor areas of Khwezai tehsil, while one fell near the Bahai Dag Complex of the district administration and seven to eight in other areas,” he said.

Sources said 80 families haddeparted from Mamad Kor, 35 from Samghai Hadikhel, and six from Lakhkar Kalay Kodakhel and Atam Kalay each.

They said most families had moved to Ashrafabad, Wacha Jor, Jummakhel, Gat Warsak and Mazrina in Khwezai tehsil.

The sources said mortar shells had been fired from across the Afghan border near the settlements in Atam Kalay areas in Baizai tehsil and Khadikhel and Mamad Kor in Samghakhi area of Khwezai tehsil.

During a visit to the border area of Khwezi-Baizai, local MNA Sajid Khan Mohmand regretted the shelling from Afghanistan.

“We demand peace from both countries as the loss on both sides will only be the loss of Mohmand tribesmen, who live along the border in the two countries,” he said.

The lawmaker hoped that both countries would restore peace to prevent further unpleasant incidents.

He said that in the past, hundreds of families were forced to migrate due to terrorism from the border areas, while their houses were destroyed for which they had not received any compensation.

Mohmand Seyasi Ittehad president Jangriz Khan Mohmand rejected the displacement of tribesmen from border areas and said that they couldn’t support the destruction of Khwezai and Baizai tribesmen.

JUI-F district leader Maulana Talha Faqir, who also belongs to Faqirabad area of Khwezai tehsil, said that the border tension was an issue of both countries.

He said Khwezai tribesmen were too poor to afford transportation costs. He said the villagers were told to vacate the area and move to safer places due the border tensions, but where they would go.

A resident said that the tribal elders were holding jirgas with the local administration in that respect.

A tribal leader from Kodakhel area said the local administration had ordered residents to evacuate the areas of Dagai, Garang, Ghondai, Warna Qila, Kankar Kala, Wazba Kaur, Zor Kala, Kodakhel, Lakhkar Kalay, Atmarkhel, Khwezai, Samghakhi and Faqirabad.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2025