• Both districts have witnessed an uptick in militant violence, attacks on security forces in recent months
• KP Apex Committee announces plan to disarm warring sides, dismantle bunkers in Kurram

PESHAWAR: Temporary evacuations would be carried out in some parts of the Khyber and Bannu districts amid efforts to cleanse the areas of miscreants and ensure the safety of their residents, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Apex Committee decided on Friday.

The apex security body also reviewed the prevailing situation in the restive Kurram district, and agreed that both sides to the conflict would voluntarily surrender their weapons under a mutual agreement facilitated by the government.

A statement issued after the meeting of the KP Apex Committee stated that the forum reviewed the prevailing law and order situation in the Tirah and Jani Khel areas of districts Khyber and Bannu, respectively.

It said that local communities were urged to cooperate with the government in expelling miscreants from their areas.

Chaired by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, the meeting was also attended by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi as well as members of the provincial cabinet, Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Omer Ahmed Bukhari, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur and other senior civil and military officials.

The statement issued after the meeting said that after extensive deliberations, a comprehensive strategy was finalised to address the ongoing issues in Kurram, which has been plagued by sectarian and tribal conflict, on permanent basis.

A detailed plan for the de-weaponisation of the district will be submitted by the warring sides within a fortnight, and all weapons must be handed over to the civil administration by February 1, 2025.

Additionally, all bunkers in the area will be dismantled within the given time frame.

The forum also decided that road connectivity of the area will be temporarily restored with intervals on humanitarian grounds, with strict security protocols in place, and joint security for convoys will be provided by police and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel.

Moreover, an air transport service will also be started on an emergency basis to address the transportation issue of the general public, for which helicopters would be provided by the federal and provincial governments.

The forum also urged both sides to avoid any violent actions, otherwise the administration would be left with no option but to close the roads again.

Similarly, the apex committee also decided to block all social media accounts that are spreading sectarian hatred in the region.

The apex committee emphasised that since Kurram issue was not just a local issue, rather one of national importance, no one would be allowed to score political points on the issue.

The statement noted efforts made by the provincial government to resolve the conflict peacefully through jirgas, and expressed the hope that both sides to the conflict would cooperate with the government to ensure a lasting solution.

Disturbances in Khyber, Bannu According to recent reports, members of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates have surfaced in several areas of Tirah Valley, including Malakdinkhel, Qam­bar­khel, Kamarkhel, Sipah, Adamkhel and Zakhakhel.

In July, security forces had launched limited intelligence-based military operations in these areas after videos of militants patrolling the roads went viral on social media.

Later, in October this year, there were reports of militants setting up parallel courts and collecting extortion money from local traders.

Earlier this week, security forces had fortified their positions in the valley amid a curfew-like situation, with locals being asked to stay inside their homes and avoid unnecessary travel.

On December 18, authorities also suspended the anti-polio campaign in nine union councils of Tirah valley due to the precarious security situation there, health officials said.

Sources also indicated that a militant presence was witnessed in some villages of the Janikhel area of Bannu district, which has also seen an uptick in violent attacks against security forces.

In November, a dozen soldiers were martyred in a suicide attack on security check post in the district. In recent months, the restive district has also witnessed incidents such as attacks on polio vaccinators, the abduction of cops, an attack on a girls’ school and a shootout that left three security men martyred.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2024