- Neither the government nor the army ordered the evacuation of Tirah, the ministry said.
- He calls these claims “baseless, malicious, motivated by ulterior motives”.
- Quotes KP notification releasing Rs 4 billion for temporary shift.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has rejected “misleading claims” about the alleged “depopulation” of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah Valley “on the orders of the army” amid reports of families being evacuated ahead of a planned operation.
In a clarification issued on Saturday evening, the ministry said: “These claims are baseless, malicious and motivated by ulterior motives aimed at alarming the public, disinformation against security institutions and promoting vested political interests. »
The statement comes after evacuations began in Tirah’s Maidan area on January 9 in preparation for a security operation, which is expected to conclude within two months, with rehabilitation and returns scheduled for April 5.
It said no directives have been issued by the federal government or the armed forces to depopulate the area located in Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Afghan border.
The statement said law enforcement regularly carries out “targeted, intelligence-driven operations” against terrorist elements.
He added that these actions were designed to avoid “a disruption of peaceful civilian life for which no depopulation or migration is necessary or undertaken.”
The ministry also cited local people’s concerns over the presence of militants, saying Tirah residents wanted peace and stability.
It said the KP Relief, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Department issued a notification on December 26, 2025, releasing funds – reportedly Rs 4 billion – for what it described as “anticipated temporary and voluntary movement of population from certain localities in Tirah (Bagh)”.
According to the statement, the provincial government has requested facilities for advance preparation and relief-related arrangements, including transportation, food aid, cash assistance, as well as the establishment and management of transit and registration points.
Citing the document, the ministry said the Deputy Commissioner of Khyber indicated that the proposed voluntary movement reflected the will of the local population, expressed through a representative jirga, while taking into account seasonal, logistical and contextual considerations, and adopting an out-of-camp modality.
The ministry strongly rejected any media statements by the provincial government or its officials linking the said migration to the armed forces, calling such claims “false and fabricated” and alleging that they were made with the bad faith intention of gaining political capital and harming security institutions.
Meanwhile, on Friday, several families fleeing their homes in the Tirah Valley found themselves stranded on snow-covered roads as heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures gripped parts of the province, triggering rescue operations.
According to emergency services 1122, more than 25 vehicles carrying 65 people stuck in the snow were safely rescued. Severe cold also led to multiple cases of hypothermia, especially among children, an official at the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) said.
“At least 20 children were shifted to HMC and had symptoms such as chills, fatigue and low body temperature,” the official added.
The Pakistan Army also remained engaged in relief efforts, rescuing 20 stranded residents and relocating them to secure locations.
A 200-bed facility has been set up in the Tirah Administrative Complex, where food, warm shelter and other basic facilities are continuously provided to evacuated families.
