Govt orders probe after protesters fired upon in KP's Tirah Valley

Several people were killed and injured when protesters demonstrating against counter-terrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah Valley came under fire on Sunday, officials confirmed.

The protest took place in the Mohmand Ghoz area of Tirah in the Khyber district. According to provincial government representative Sohail Afridi, the demonstrators had gathered in front of the Frontier Corps (FC) compound to protest a recent mortar attack that killed a young girl in the area.

“There were shots fired when the crowd reached the gates of the compound,” Afridi told Dawn.com, confirming casualties, though he said there were conflicting reports about who opened fire.

District officials claim that militants from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), referred to as Fitna-al-Khawarij, were responsible for the shooting. However, some protesters alleged that FC personnel at the compound fired at the crowd.

Earlier this week, two children were killed in Raghzai village, Tank district, when a mortar shell struck their home. The incident sparked local outrage, with residents blocking the Tank-South Waziristan Road to demand accountability.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and directed that medical care be provided immediately to the injured. “The heinous intentions of terrorists cannot shake our resolve,” he stated.

In response to the firing incident, a jirga was convened involving military officials, local elders, and representatives of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). Security Forces Commandant Brigadier Muhammad Qasim reportedly assured that an inquiry would be launched and the person responsible for the earlier mortar strike had been identified.

He further stated that drone and mortar attacks on civilians would cease, and all closed roads in the area would be reopened.

As part of a compensation package, security forces agreed to pay Rs1.5 million to the families of those killed and Rs250,000 to the injured, who will also receive free treatment at the FC hospital in Shah Kas. Should any of the injured succumb to their wounds, they will be entitled to a martyr package, according to the agreement.

KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed deep sorrow and announced a Rs10 million compensation for each of the deceased and Rs2.5 million for the injured.