KHYBER: With hundreds of displaced families stranded on the road due to prolonged registration process, the Khyber district administration on Thursday suspended the evacuation of more families from Tirah valley due to heavy snowfall that began in early hours of the day.
A note issued by Khyber House in Peshawar asked Tirah families to refrain from travelling to Bara until Friday evening due to the inclement weather.
It added that the process of evacuation and registration would restart after weather improvement.
Sources in Tirah had earlier informed that law-enforcement agencies made announcements in the valley about speedy evacuation of families as the Jan 25 deadline for displacement neared.
Stranded families complain they had sleepless nights on the road
Announcements caused panic and worry among Tirah families as the weather turned hostile and LEAs wanted them to leave without delay.
Gul Mand Khan, who reached Bara on Wednesday evening, told Dawn that it took him and his extended family six days to cover 110 kilometres from Bagh Markaz to Bara.
He alleged that the convoy of four vehicles his family travelled in was subjected to prolonged and unnecessary delays at Dwa Thoye, Sandana, Paindi Cheena and later at Mandai Kas in Bara, so they had sleepless nights.
“Though my family was provided with four tokens for transport fare at the Bagh Markaz in Tirah by Bara tehsildar Daud Khan on departure from the valley on Jan 16, it took us three days to cover a mere distance of 15 kilometres up to Dwa Thoye where they’re denied transport fare on the pretext that the said amount would be paid to them in Paindi Cheena registration centre,” he insisted.
The displaced person said that on arrival in Pandi Cheena after a 24-hour journey, the family was informed that payment would be disbursed at the Mandai Kas centre in Bara.
“At Mandai Kas, we’re told to offload luggage from vehicles and take the elderly family members along with women and children to their second homes in Bara and return to collect transport fare the next day,” he said.
Mr Khanadded that he was paid fare for just one vehicle, with the rest of the promised amount being withheld on the pretext of verification from the 24-member jirga of Tirah elders despite the issuance of stamped tokens by the district administration in Tirah.
Turab Ali, a social worker from the Sipah tribe, told Dawn from the Sandana centre over phone that heavy snowfall has blocked all roads, with the registration process being completely halted and hundreds of families stranded on the road.
He said most families had got stuck near the Dwa Thoye centre, facing acute shortage of food and warm clothing.
“It is now becoming a human tragedy as the stranded families are without food while they are forced to stay in their vehicles in extreme cold weather without having adequate facilities,” he said.
Two children reportedly lost lives and three people suffered injuries as three vehicles carrying them skidded off the road due to slippery conditions on the way from Tirah to Bara.
Turab Ali feared more casualties if the vehicles stranded at Dwa Thoye and other areas were not immediately cleared. He said displaced families were fast losing hope of receiving any immediate relief from authorities.
Qari Said Faqir, a Malakdinkhel resident in Tirah, accused the district administration of being involved in the sale of fake tokens for transport fare.
He claimed that Bara tehsildar stationed at Bagh Maidan Markaz was responsible for issuing tokens but he didn’t have any records of the tokens issued as they’re sold to unauthorised people in Paindi Cheena and Mandai Kas centres.
The resident alleged that neither the district administration nor the two parliamentarians from Bara didn’t ensure smooth evacuation of thousands of families from Tirah.
Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026
