KHYBER: Negotiations between a jirga representing all tribes of Khyber district and terrorists from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s Noor Wali Group ended inconclusively on Monday as the latter called for the enforcement of Sharia in the country alongside unhindered movement in the border regions of newly merged districts.

A 100-strong jirga, consisting of tribal elders, former parliamentarians, representatives of political and religious parties, and civil society activists, was formed following a meeting of tribal representatives with the inspector general of Frontier Corps at the FC headquarters in Peshawar on Oct 2.

The top military commander had declared in the meeting that either Tirah tribes should agree to vacate their homes for a possible military operation or terrorists should be stopped from carrying out attacks against security forces, sources said.

They said the IGFC also made it clear that if Tirah tribesmen didn’t accept any of the proposals, the security forces would launch a decisive military operation against the proscribed terrorist groups.

Terrorists demand Sharia enforcement in country, smooth movement across border

However, the jirga unilaterally took the responsibility of holding talks with members of the outlawed terrorist groups, including TTP, Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group and Lashkar-i-Islam, currently based in Tirah, in order to convince them to leave the restive valley.

The Bala Hisar jirga was held in the aftermath of the Sept 22 Shadaly village incident in which 21 people had died, security officials insisting that the killings were caused due to an explosion at an ammunition depot inside a house.

However, residents alleged that innocent people were targeted in air strikes.

Sources in the jirga told Dawn on return from Tirah on Monday evening that they were taken to a hilly area of Kaloona in Malakdinkhel for talks with armed terrorists present in large numbers all through the way.

They said that they got a green signal on Sunday after local sources had established contacts with TTP local commanders Ghazi Abdullah, Abuzar Afridi and some of their other confidants and a daylong ceasefire was agreed upon to facilitate the jirga travelling to the valley.

The sources said that talks with the TTP team were held in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty as the terrorist group was in a hurry to conclude the negotiations fearing air strikes or a ground offensive.

They frequently change their locations over such fears.

Sources said two other terror groups, including Lashkar i Islam and Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, didn’t attend Monday’s negotiations as no contact could be made with them. Some jirga members opposed holding talks with any government-sponsored jirga.

“We tried our best to explain to terrorist commanders that mostly innocent people are suffering from their armed struggle against security forces, the region has become highly insecure with residents constantly living in fear and intimidation,” a senior jirga member told Dawn.

He said jirga members tried to explain to the TTP members that an armed struggle would take any of the two sides nowhere and would cause huge human losses and destruction coupled with massive displacement.

The jirga member said the TTP-Noor Wali Mehsud Group’s team was not ready to agree to anything short of an assurance about the complete implementation of Sharia in the country and permission for free movement to its armed men across merged tribal districts.

“The TTP’s men cited the example of the victory of the Afghan Taliban in their country and insisted that they, too, have rendered huge sacrifices for the enforcement of Sharia in Pakistan, which is an integral part of their objectives,” he said.

The jirga member, however, said the TTP negotiating team lacked discipline as it would constantly change its stand and was in a hurry to wind up talks. The negotiations lasted nearly an hour,” he said.

He said there were also some anxious moments during talks when an armed man suddenly entered the mosque, where the talks were under way, to whisper in the ears of one of the commanders, causing commotion among TTP negotiators.

The jirgra members returned to Bara on Monday evening, with plans to meet top security officials in Peshawar in the next few days to apprise them of the TTP’s demands. They had planned to travel to Tirah last Friday but preferred to wait for a go-ahead from interlocutors in the valley.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2025