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KHYBER:
Thousands of families remain displaced from the Tirah Valley in Khyber district as the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government monitors their relocation amid worsening security and heavy snowfall.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, the evacuation began on January 10. So far, 11,400 families have been registered, and more than 10,000 have been relocated to safer areas, including Bara and Peshawar.
On Wednesday alone, 1,719 families were registered in five centers in Bara. Each family receives between Rs 22,000 and Rs 44,000 for transportation, along with a monthly housing allowance of Rs 50,000.
Heavy snowfall three days ago trapped hundreds of families in trucks, prompting large-scale rescue operations. Authorities said at least 2,200 people have been rescued so far.
Mohammad Khan, a resident of Maidan in Tirah, said he would move to Peshawar after receiving assistance. “I have received a token and Rs 22,000 for transportation. I am going to Zang Gully in Peshawar. The security situation was bad due to the Taliban, and we came here in search of peace. Our demands are a good package and assistance for the people,” he told The Express PAkGazette.
Another displaced resident said: “We have relocated due to the worsening security situation and are now in Bara.”
Kamal-ud-Din, head of a 24-member negotiation committee in Tirah, told a private news channel that the provincial government had accepted 31 demands submitted by residents. He said the relocation would be completed by the end of January and each family would receive Rs 250,000 upfront and a monthly stipend of Rs 50,000.
He added that families whose houses were destroyed during the operation would receive 3 million rupees in compensation, while those with partially damaged houses would receive 1 million rupees. He said the military operation was expected to end within two months, after which residents would be allowed to return.
