Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday dismissed reports of a military operation in Tirah Valley, saying recent displacement from the area is a routine, seasonal movement linked to harsh winter conditions rather than any security action.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Coordinator for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs Ikhtiar Wali Khan, Asif said migration from Tirah and other valleys along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border takes place every year during snowfall. He said the situation was being mischaracterised as a crisis despite being a recurring seasonal pattern.

“People Are Caught in the Middle,” Says KP CM as He Slams Current Security Approach

The clarification comes amid a public dispute between federal and provincial authorities over who authorised the recent evacuation of families from the remote valley. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had earlier rejected claims that residents were being depopulated on the orders of the military, calling such assertions misleading.

Asif said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had allocated Rs4 billion to support families relocating during the winter season. He added that a notification related to relocation was issued after consultations between the provincial government and a local jirga, which also agreed on steps such as establishing schools and police stations in the area.

Addressing security concerns, the defence minister said intelligence-based operations against militant groups continue in the region but stressed that the area was not being evacuated for any military operation. He said armed forces deployed in the area were not involved in the relocation process.

Asif also referred to illegal activities in the valley, including cannabis cultivation, as a source of local tension. He said the government was prepared to facilitate visits by journalists to Tirah Valley to show conditions on the ground.