PESHAWAR (MNN); The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Wednesday released Rs4 billion to facilitate the temporary displacement of residents of the Tirah Valley in Khyber district ahead of a planned targeted security operation against militants.
According to an official letter issued by the Finance Department, the funds have been approved for ongoing activities related to the depopulation of Tirah Valley and other operational arrangements in District Khyber. The amount has been released under the FATA Disaster Management Authority grant for the current financial year 2025–26.
The letter stated that the expenditure will be charged to the Social Protection and Rehabilitation budget and met from within the sanctioned grant for 2025–26. It further clarified that the funds will be placed in the Provincial Disaster Management Authority’s Special Deposit Funds Account under the Public Account and will not be transferred to any designated or commercial bank account. All financial and regulatory requirements will be completed before utilisation.
Residents of the Tirah Valley began temporary relocation last Friday following an agreement between the district administration and a 24-member tribal elders’ committee. The decision was finalised after negotiations held last month, during which most of the committee’s demands were accepted, while others were approved with amendments.
Registration of displaced families is currently underway at Paindai Cheena, where the district administration has put arrangements in place to assist the affected population. After verification by the National Database and Registration Authority, mobile SIM cards are being issued to the displaced persons.
As part of immediate relief measures, the administration is also providing Rs22,000 per vehicle to affected families.
Tirah Valley, situated along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and spread across parts of Khyber and Orakzai districts, has seen a resurgence of militancy in recent months. Local residents had initially put forward 27 demands, making their acceptance a precondition for temporary displacement ahead of the security operation.
