Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], August 8 : In a deeply controversial move that has sparked alarm across Khyber district, various political and tribal stakeholders have strongly criticised the so-called "peace agreement" inked between the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Bar Qambarkhel tribe of Tirah on August 5.
According to Dawn News, concerns are growing that the deal is nothing more than a tactical ploy by the TTP to regroup and expand its operations in the volatile region.
The agreement has conspicuously omitted any clause calling for the withdrawal of TTP or other militant outfits from the Tirah Valley. Dawn News reported the pact to be a "farce", warning that it effectively legitimises the presence of armed militants without securing any guarantees for peace or disarmament. The TTP has reportedly reaffirmed its commitment to continuing its armed campaign against Pakistan's security forces.
A political activist from Bara, speaking to Dawn News on condition of anonymity, stated that the agreement dangerously allows militants to remain embedded within civilian populations. The activist warned that the TTP has explicitly threatened retaliation if targeted by state forces, creating a situation ripe for future conflict. "This isn't a peace accord; it's a smokescreen," he said.
The secretive manner in which the Bar Qambarkhel tribe negotiated the agreement has further deepened inter-tribal tensions. According to Dawn News, major tribes, including Malakdinkhel, Akkakhel, Sipah, Kamarkhel, Adamkhel, Zakhakhel, and Shalobar, were excluded from the talks, prompting an emergency jirga of Malakdinkhel elders to publicly disown the deal.
Ahmad Ali, a local social activist, told Dawn News that militants have already begun exploiting the agreement to entrench themselves further into the community, actively recruiting local youth under the guise of "jihad". He warned that Bar Qambarkhel, currently celebrating the deal, would likely bear the brunt of militant exploitation.
Shabir Jan Afridi, a young political activist, told Dawn News the agreement is "unsustainable" and could spark a full-fledged military operation. He questioned who would be accountable for indiscriminate mortar shelling by security forces, which has already led to civilian casualties in Tirah.
A trader, speaking to Dawn News, raised alarm over increasing extortion, stating that militants are collecting "Ushr" and "Zakat" by force, while silencing any dissent through threats.
This so-called peace accord, rather than paving the path to peace, seems to be drawing Khyber closer to another wave of violence, underlining Pakistan's ongoing failure to contain terrorism within its own borders.