Officials say most Tirah residents have been evacuated

Despite ongoing blame-shifting between the federal and provincial governments over the displacement from the volatile Tirah Valley, officials estimate that about 80–85 per cent of the population has been evacuated so far.

The evacuation process has been temporarily suspended due to harsh weather conditions. However, families who had already left their homes and were stranded by snowstorms have now safely reached Bara after two days of intense rescue efforts.

Severe snowfall, coupled with slow registration procedures at several checkpoints along the 110-kilometre route from Tirah to Bara, has worsened the suffering of displaced families. Many were forced to spend nights outdoors in freezing temperatures.

District administration officials told Dawn that although the exact number of families arriving in Bara has not yet been confirmed, they estimate that by Tuesday only about 15 per cent of residents remained to be evacuated.

They added that the deadline for evacuation was extended due to snowfall, and remaining families were advised to stay put until weather conditions improve. No revised completion date has been announced.

According to officials, the extension was necessary because weather-related challenges made it essential to give residents time to recover before resuming the final phase of evacuation once conditions become favorable.