Visit to Bara: CM offers condolences over Tirah deaths

BARA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Wednesday visited Bara tehsil of Khyber district to offer condolences to the families of those killed in the recent Tirah incident and held talks with the local elders and political leadership.

The chief minister was accompanied by Member National Assembly (MNA) Iqbal Afridi, Provincial Minister Sohail Afridi, MPAs Abdul Ghani Afridi, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Commissioner Peshawar Riaz Khan Mehsud and Deputy Commissioner Rao Bilal Shahid.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister condemned the labeling of the deceased as terrorists, declaring them martyrs.

“These were innocent people. They are martyrs, not terrorists and we stand by them,” he remarked, assuring the protesters that the provincial government was committed to addressing their grievances.

He announced a compensation package of Rs10 million for each martyr’s family. However, the heirs of the deceased refused to accept the financial assistance, saying they wanted justice and durable peace instead, adding that they didn’t want money as they wanted restoration of peace.

They pointed out that promises made in the past were never honoured.Official sources confirmed that the chief minister had summoned a high-powered committee, including senior officials and political figures, to engage with the Bara Seyasi Ittehad and negotiate a settlement.

The Bara Seyasi Ittehad formed a 20-member committee that went to Peshawar to hold talks with the chief minister and security officials.Meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators continued their sit-in at Khyber Chowk in Bara, demanding an impartial inquiry into the Tirah incident.

The protesters voiced frustration over repeated assurances by successive governments without meaningful results.The incident in Tirah Valley, which left 21 people dead, triggered widespread outrage and highlighted once again the fragile security situation in the merged districts.