BARA:
The large-scale displacement from the Tirah Valley in Khyber district is approaching its final stages with authorities reporting that approximately 95 percent of the evacuation process has been completed.
According to local administration officials, more than 26,000 affected households have already been registered, marking an important milestone in what has become a major humanitarian and administrative operation in the border region with Afghanistan.
Deputy Commissioner Bara Talha Rafiq told The Express PAkGazette that a total of 26,962 families have been registered at multiple points established in Bara. These include Painda China with 11,472 families, Nawi of Malakdin Khel with 5,079, Qambarabad with 2,412, Al-Haj Market with 4,120 and Takia Center Qambar Khel with 3,879. The process involves biometric verification by NADRA and SIM issuance through private companies to ensure accuracy and prevent fraud.
Transportation financial assistance has already been provided to registered families and more payments are expected to begin soon. A verification committee is actively reviewing records to identify and exclude non-genuine claimants, those who are not permanent residents of the Tirah Valley and who may have been incorrectly registered. Officials emphasize that the priority remains providing timely and fair help to genuine victims, with no tolerance for wrongdoing.
The evacuation, which has intensified in recent weeks amid security concerns in the rugged Tirah Valley, has attracted widespread attention. A national jirga convened under former federal minister Hamidullah Jan Afridi brought together political and social figures to address the crisis. The meeting endorsed agreements reached with a 24-member Tirah committee, calling on the provincial and federal governments to quickly resolve registration, rehabilitation and related issues. Participants warned that if commitments, including the promised return date, are not met, the Afridi tribes will organize their own return.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the displacement of the Aka Khel tribe from areas including Sere Kandao to Shadalay, with more than 4,000 people expected to relocate this week. Registration points for this phase are being finalized, according to Bara Tehsil president Mufti Kafil Afridi.
Criticism has increased from political sectors and affected communities. Awami National Party (ANP) district president Abdul Razzaq Afridi accused the provincial government of inefficiencies, claiming that a committee at Khyber House is canceling almost 50 percent of registrations during verification, a move he described as unfair. He highlighted that the current system relies heavily on polio campaign records, potentially excluding legitimate resident families without children or with incomplete data, thus depriving them of aid. The Tirah Victims’ Movement has emerged as a unified platform, with representatives of political parties, social figures, merchants, doctors and others setting up a protest camp in front of the Bara Press Club. Activists complain of delays due to lack of staff at registration points and called for more staff and counters to speed up the process.
