• After Tirah tribesmen, Bajaur peace Jirga tries to convince militants to quit the area
• Elders assure army, FC of full support for anti-militancy efforts
BAJAUR / NORTH WAZIRISTAN: A complete curfew was imposed across North Waziristan in view of the security situation, while a peace jirga tried to prevail upon local militant leaders to leave Bajaur.
The moves were part of efforts to restore peace to these merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which have witnessed a spike in militant activity of late, especially along the border with Afghanistan.
On Friday, a peace march was held in the Shewa tehsil of North Waziristan district against the deteriorating law and order situation in the area.
Tribal elders, representatives of all political parties, the Utmanzai Jirga, Youth of Kabul Khel, and activists of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) attended the gathering.
Addressing the participants, Utmanzai jirga spokesman Mufti Baitullah and other speakers expressed concern over rising lawlessness across the district.
The speakers emphasised that people were living in constant fear, primarily due to the re-emergence of militant elements and poor government strategies, and called upon state institutions to ensure immediate and sustainable peace in the region.
Following the imposition of curfew in the area, the district administration has advised people to stay indoors and avoid traveling on roads.
Jirga efforts
In Bajaur, where ‘Operation Sarbakaf’ was launched earlier this week to clear the area of militants, a peace Jirga met local militant leaders to convince them to return to Afghanistan.
But sources said that the local leadership of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have sought another day’s time to consult with their leaders in Afghanistan.
The meeting, held at a mosque in the Lar Kalan area of Lowi Mamund tehsil, was attended by a 50-member delegation of the Bajaur Peace Committee and a group of TTP leaders.
Sources said that Jirga members, led by Sahibzada Haroon Rashid and consisting of local PTI MPAs Dr. Hamidur Rehman, Anwar Zeb Khan, and former PTI MNA Gul Zafar Khan — among others — presented a two-point agenda to the TTP leaders.
The delegation asked the militants to either return to Afghanistan, or go into the mountains rather than staying among the local population, as their presence posed a serious threat to locals, Dr Khailur Rehman, a PTI senior leader who also a part of the delegation, told Dawn.
He said that the TTP leaders had sought time until noon on Saturday to respond to the Jirga’s demands.
Sahibzada Haroon Rashid also confirmed this, telling reporters after the meeting that the next round of talks would be held today (Saturday).
The meeting with militant leaders followed a similar engagement in Khyber’s Tirah valley, where a Jirga from the Bar Qambarkhel tribe had called upon TTP commanders to quit the area.
That meeting had also had a similar outcome — with the militants seeking time to consult their leadership in Afghanistan.
Bajaur scouts
A separate Jirga held at the Bajaur Scouts headquarters in Khar, said the peace-loving people of Bajaur stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps to restore peace in the region.
According to the statement issued by the Bajaur Scouts, local lawmakers and senior officials of the security forces, district administration, and police were also in attendance in the jirga, which aimed to finalise a result-oriented strategy to establish durable peace and stability in the district.
Addressing the participants, Frontier Corps (North) Inspector General Major General Rao Imran Sirtaj said that anti-terrorism operations are aimed at establishing long-lasting peace and normalcy in the district, with the goal of enabling the people of the region to live in a peaceful environment conducive to progress and prosperity.
Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2025