KHYBER: A protest rally on Saturday rejected forced displacement of residents in case of a military operation in Tirah Valley of the Khyber district.

Scores of residents converged at the historic Bagh Markaz to express their rejection of the forced displacement in anticipation of a proposed military operation in parts of the valley where militant groups have recently intensified their unlawful activities.

Bara tehsil council chairman Mufti Kafeel, a young firebrand social activist Khan Wali, Maulana Hazrat, Kaptan Khan and some other local tribal representatives addressed the emotionally charged rally.

They said that residents of Tirah were not ready to offer any further sacrifices, which they alleged aimed at appeasing some foreign powers while forcing them to again vacate their houses in the name of cleansing the valley of undesirable elements.

They contended that residents of Tirah had always paid a heavy price in the so-called war against terrorism and they could no longer afford to suffer more damage and losses.

The speakers insisted that military operations were not a solution to curbing militancy as they had always backfired in the shape of forced eviction and destruction, and they suggested that the current situation in Tirah should be resolved through negotiations.

They threatened to stage an indefinite protest sit-in in front of the Tirah Brigade if any decision regarding their displacement before the military operation was imposed over them.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025