ecurity situation in Tirah valley had been tense for several weeks. The fragile calm was shattered last Sunday when a mortar shell exploded in the Peer Mela, Zakhakhel, killing a girl.

The death of Aamina, aged 12, caused an outrage. The next morning, hundreds of people, including tribal elders and youngsters, carried her body to the Brigade Headquarters and staged a sit-in protest next to the office of the brigade commander.

The protesters insisted on the immediate arrest of those responsible for the child’s death.

Hours into the protest, anger built up and the crowd began hurling stones. Some of them also tried to force open the gate of the garrison. The protestors and the guards charged each other.

Meanwhile, firing started, By the time the firing stopped, four people lay dead. At least 15 others were wounded. The prime minister has stated that terrorists had started firing, causing deaths.

Sources say residents of Peer Mela complained that mortar shells used by security forces had killed at least three people over the last two weeks. The shells were allegedly fired as a part of security forces’ operation against militant groups in Zakhakhel, Shalobar, Adakhel and Malakdin Khel.

An eyewitness, the violence erupted suddenly. He said neither protesters nor the security forces seemed to have anticipated a deadly escalation.

Panic swept the valley after the incident. The deaths prompted some tribal elders to urgently convene a jirga representing eight major clans having 480 members.

A 40-member delegation from this jirga then approached the brigade office. It was backed by leaders of several political parties.

The talks were led by Haji Shamsuddin Afridi, finance secretary for the merged tribal districts and Maulana Hazrat Khan, the JUI-F district chief; Malik Akbar and others. After several hours of discussion with Brigadier Muhammad Qasim, the jirga issued a statement condemning the mortar strike and the use of live ammunition against the protesters. The elders noted that this was not the first such incident in Tirah.

“The police have a responsibility to disperse mobs. Had they acted promptly and used tear gas, the bloodshed could have been avoided. The police failed.”

Among other things the delegation demanded registration of criminal cases for the mortar shell death of the girl and the firing on civilians; lifting of the curfew and reopening of all routes to the valley; vacation of houses occupied by the security forces; an end to forced displacement of locals; a ban on use of mortar and drone strikes in civilian areas; payment of compensation to the families of the deceased and free treatment for the injured; and restoration of mobile phone and internet services.

The sector commander reportedly assured them of his support for legitimate demands. He told them that the military personnel are subject to military law and not civilian FIRs.

He promised to hold an inquiry under military rules, assuring the tribal representatives of dismissal and punishment if the security officials were found guilty.

He agreed to re-open the blocked routes, halt forced relocations, cease heavy-weapon use in civilian areas, vacate occupied homes in 15 days and restore communications. He said Rs 1.5 million compensation would be paid for each deceased.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced an additional payment of Rs 10 million for each person killed in the clash and Rs 2.5 million for every person who had sustained an injury.

The delegation told the commander that peaceful protest was a constitutional right and that the security forces could not open fire on unarmed civilians.

Speaking to The News on Sunday, a member of the jirga said that the brigadier apologised to the Afridi tribal council and promised to personally visit each of the bereaved families to offer condolences.

Later, MNA Iqbal Afridi from Khyber district and MPA Abdul Ghani, along with their supporters, held a protest demonstration at Bab-i-Khyber in Jamrud. They demanded a transparent inquiry and adequate compensation for the dead and injured. They opposed operations in the valley and demanded that peace be restored without displacing the locals. The government and the scurity forces have announced compensation for the deceased as well as the injured.

Speaking to TNS, Haji Shamsuddin Afridi complained about the absence of the police. “There is a police station in Tirah, but the police remain confined within its walls,” he said. “The police have a responsibility to disperse mobs. Had they acted promptly and used tear gas, the bloodshed could have been avoided. The police have failed.”

In the aftermath of the incident, a delegation from the affected tribe also approached the militants and asked them to leave the area. The militants reportedly said that their commander was not currently in the valley. They said they would respond to the request by August 5.

One resident, speaking anonymously, voiced general frustration with the security situation across the tribal belt. “For over 20 years, we have lived with terrorism, military operations and displacement. We have suffered too much. All we want is peace in our lands.”

The writer is a multimedia producer. He tweets @daudpasaney