Peshawar, Jan 1 (PTI) A minority member of the provincial Assembly in an act of solidarity on Thursday joined a months-long protest against military operations in Tirah Valley of Pakistan's restive Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province.
Baba Gopal Singh, hailing from Tirah Valley, who is a member of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), joined the sit-in with tribal elders at Bagh Bazaar in Khyber district and met affected families, also offering prayers for the people killed, speedy recovery of the injured and lasting peace in the region.
The JUI-F lawmaker remained at the protest camp and delivered a sermon emphasising peace and stability.
In his address, he said that the government was making serious efforts to eliminate militancy and ensure maximum relief for the locals in the region.
Measures were being taken to reduce civilian casualties and damage during the security operations, he added, while urging the locals to refrain from sheltering militants and to cooperate with security forces.
The tribal leaders complained that elected representatives have failed to visit Tirah Valley despite the protest going on for seven months. No lawmaker from the area had shown solidarity with them during this period, tribal elders added.
Meanwhile, official sources confirmed that authorities have issued notices to residents of Tirah Valley to vacate their areas ahead of a planned military operation.
This comes after weeks of negotiations with security and civil administration officials, tribal elders agreed to begin vacating their homes on January 10 after signing a written agreement with the district administration.
The entire Tirah Valley is to be evacuated by January 25 paving the way for a long-anticipated operation against militant groups.
As per the agreement the district administration has agreed to pay compensation of PkR 3 million for completely damaged houses and PkR 1 million for partially damaged houses during the operation.
In addition, displaced families will receive a monthly stipend of PkR 50,000 each until April 5, 2026, when the operation is expected to end.
The Pakistani government accuses the banned terror outfit Tehreekh-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of carrying out attacks, a claim repeatedly raised with Afghan officials, who deny hosting banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) elements. PTI AYZ SKS SKS AMS
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