Winter Evacuation in Pakistan: Thousands Forced Out as Army Plans Major Anti-TTP Operation
Scenes of panic and distress are once again unfolding in Pakistan. This time, the trigger was an announcement made through mosque loudspeakers, sending shockwaves through Muslim communities in the region. The message was blunt and urgent: people were ordered to leave their homes immediately, taking along children, women, and the elderly.
The announcement came early in the morning, and within minutes, chaos gripped the Tirah Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Families hurriedly packed whatever essentials they could carry and fled in search of safety. With heavy snowfall and bone-chilling cold gripping the region, thousands were left with no option but to spend nights on the roads, exposed to extreme weather conditions.
The order, however, was said to have come from Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir—making compliance unavoidable. Once the directive was issued, residents knew there was no choice but to abandon their homes, no matter how dangerous or painful the journey ahead might be.
The forced evacuation is linked to an upcoming large-scale military operation against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Munir has reportedly ordered the clearing of civilian areas in the Tirah Valley ahead of the offensive. The TTP has increasingly targeted Pakistani security forces, especially since relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated. Militants operating from border regions have carried out repeated attacks, leaving the military under constant pressure.
Frustrated by these sustained assaults, Pakistan’s leadership has announced a decisive operation against the TTP. But the immediate cost of this decision is being borne by ordinary civilians. More than 70,000 residents of the Tirah and surrounding valleys have been displaced in harsh winter conditions.
The TTP has reportedly established strong footholds in and around these valleys. Fighters frequently use this terrain to launch attacks on Pakistani forces. Tirah Valley, located in Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is a strategically sensitive area. It lies close to the Pakistan–Afghanistan border and is historically linked to the Khyber Pass.
For centuries, the Tirah Valley has held immense military, trade, and strategic importance. Today, that same strategic value has once again turned it into a conflict zone—where civilians are paying the price for a war they did not choose.