The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday condemned the deaths of civilians during “operations against terrorists” in the province’s Tirah area.
Earlier, a senior police officer in the area told AFP on condition of anonymity that “jets targeted four houses, which were completely destroyed”. He, however, did not say who carried out the attack. The incident generated criticism from multiple quarters.
A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said CM Ali Amin Gandapur met a delegation from the district following the incident with PTI MNA Iqbal Afridi, the KP chief secretary, additional chief secretary (home), Peshawar commissioner and other officials also present in the meeting that reviewed the law and order situation in the “context of the unfortunate incident” that occurred in Tirah.
“Martyrdom of civilians in the incident is regrettable and condemnable. Martyrdom of civilians as a result of operations against terrorists is unacceptable,” the statement quoted CM Gandapur as saying.
It added that regret was expressed over the unfortunate incident in the meeting, and prayers were offered for the deceased as well.
The statement said the chief minister announced compensation of Rs10 million each for the families of the victims. The session also held a detailed consideration of an action plan to prevent such incidents in the future.
“In this regard, it was decided to hold a meeting of the jirga consisting of elected public representatives of the area, leaders of all political parties, and local elders with top military officials.
“The future course of action for peace and order in the area will be decided in the meeting of the jirga with military officials,” the statement said, adding that an agreement was reached to adopt a strategy in Tirah to establish peace and order on the model of Bajaur.
During the meeting, special emphasis was laid on the need to gain the trust of locals and residents for peace in the area, the statement said.
Earlier in the day, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it was “deeply shocked” to hear about reports of the killing of several civilians caused by alleged “aerial bombing” in Tirah, and demanded a probe into the matter.
It demanded that “the authorities carry out an immediate and impartial inquiry into the incident and hold to account those responsible”.
“The state is constitutionally bound to protect all civilians’ right to life, which it has repeatedly failed to secure,” the HRCP statement read.
KP Assembly Speaker Babar Swati called on the federal and provincial governments to conduct a “transparent and immediate investigation into the incident, identify those responsible, and not only provide immediate relief and compensation to the affected families but also take comprehensive measures for their rehabilitation”.
A statement uploaded on his X account said he expressed his sorrow over the “martyrdom of innocent civilians and the destruction of homes due to the bombardment by jet aircraft”.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Communication and Works Sohail Afridi also raised his voice on the matter during today’s KP Assembly session. He said the “horrifying tragedy” occurred at 2am in Tirah.
He alleged that 25 people, including women and children, were killed when “mortar and bombs were dropped” on the locals. He blamed the security forces for the incident. It, however, could not be independently established as to who was responsible.
MNA Iqbal earlier expressed sorrow over the incident in a video message in Pashto, which he shared with the media. He said elderly women and children were killed in “shelling by jets” in Tirah and urged the people to reach the site of the incident to protest the killings.
The MNA said it was not the first time that such an incident had taken place. “The killing of civilians has become a routine.”
In a similar incident in May, 22 people, including seven children, were injured in an alleged quadcopter strike[1] in the Wana tehsil of KP’s South Waziristan district.
That same month, four children were killed[2] and five others were injured in a suspected quadcopter munitions drop in Mir Ali tehsil of the North Waziristan district in KP.
Later, the military clarified[3] that security forces were “falsely implicated” in the incident and that it was carried out by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Additional reporting by Ibrahim Shinwari.