JI, ANP leaders oppose operation in Tirah valley

PESHAWAR/BARA: The Jamaat-i-Islami and Awami national Party on Monday expressed concern over the operation in the Tirah valley of Khyber district and urged the authorities to reconsider the decision.

In a statement issued here on Monday, JI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa head, Central, Abdul Wasi said that the residents of the operation hit areas have been suffering for over two decades.“This prolonged crisis has left the local population in a state of economic distress, unemployment, and insecurity,” he said, and criticized the policy of forced displacement of people from their homes amid harsh winter waves.

“The ongoing military operation and heavy shelling are causing harm to innocent lives, properties and infrastructure. This has been causing unrest among the people and negative sentiments against the government and state institutions among the public were on the rise,” Abdul Wasi remarked. He called for an immediate end to the operation and resolution of the issue through dialogue with the help of local elders, religious scholars and tribal jirgas.

He warned that the operation would likely lead to mass displacement, worsening the situation further. The harsh weather conditions and inadequate shelter might lead to increased mortality among children, he added.

Speaking about previous military operations in the region, the JI leader argued that force and violence have never borne fruitful results or sustainable solutions to any issue. “History has shown that dialogue and negotiations are the only practical and lasting means to resolve conflicts,” he added.

He also urged the government to take immediate steps to rehabilitate the displaced population of Tirah valley, who got displaced due to the current military action. The authorities concerned must act swiftly to provide relief to the affected families who are forced to live under the open sky, he maintained.

Meanwhile, ANP leaders of the Khyber chapter demanded the government to stop the ongoing military operation in Maidan area in Tirah valley forthwith.Speaking at a press conference Bara, ANP Khyber district president Abdul Raziq Afridi, general secretary Sattar Shinwari and others said the provincial government had failed to stop the operation.

“There are no reasonable arrangements for the displaced people affected due to the ongoing operation,” said Raziq Afridi.They urged the government to prioritize dialogue and development over military operations to address the issue of worsening law and order situation and terrorism in the Tirah valley.