Peshawar, July 30, 2025: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has strongly opposed the ongoing military offensive in Bajaur, calling for an immediate end to the operation unless the provincial government is taken into confidence by the federal authorities.
The stance was announced following a high-level Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur late Tuesday night. The meeting also vowed to lift the three-day curfew imposed across 16 areas of Bajaur district, although an official notification in this regard is still awaited.
The operation, codenamed ‘Sarbakaf’, was launched Tuesday by security forces in Bajaur’s Lowi Mamund tehsil with support from gunship helicopters and artillery, targeting suspected terrorist hideouts. While official figures remain unconfirmed, sources say at least four militants were killed, 12 injured, and 10 captured. Local accounts claim civilian casualties as well — including two fatalities, one reportedly a child, and eight wounded, including women and minors.
CM Gandapur expressed concern over what he described as an “unannounced” operation, stating that, “We are not in favour of any military operation without the provincial government being taken into confidence… We cannot ruin our soil for decisions imposed on us without consultation.”
He warned that the erosion of trust between civilians and the armed forces — especially due to collateral damage — was undermining the national counterterrorism effort.
The provincial government decided to bar district administrations from imposing curfews without prior approval from the KP Home Department, transfer the authority to impose Section 144 (under which curfews are enacted) to the department and introduce legislation in Friday’s KP Assembly session to revoke the KP Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Ordinance 2019, which legally protected military detention centers established during prior operations in the tribal belt.
The PTI meeting also reaffirmed its support for the multi-party conference (MPC) held last week, which had opposed any renewed military offensive without a broader political and local consensus. The KP CM reiterated that “policies must be reviewed in light of ground realities” and committed to engaging with Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir to discuss the province’s law and order situation.
As part of a community-driven approach, Gandapur announced a series of jirgas — traditional tribal assemblies — to be held over the next 10 days, covering two districts at a time and culminating in a grand jirga. Policy reassessments, he said, would be shared with federal authorities and security stakeholders.
Protests erupted in Bajaur’s Umary Chowk on Wednesday, with PTI MPA Anwar Zeb Khan sharing images of hundreds of residents rallying against the military action. This follows a similar protest in War Mamund tehsil a day earlier, where locals demanded protection for civilians during military operations.
Several political leaders have publicly condemned the offensive:
- PTI lawmakers Dr. Hamidur Rehman, Mohammad Nisar Khan, and former MNA Gul Zafar Khan.
- Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Tribal Districts Mubarakzeb Khan.
- Former JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan and Awami National Party (ANP) leaders Senator Aimal Wali Khan and Mian Iftikhar Hussain.
ANP questioned the legality of the operation, citing Article 245 of the Constitution, which requires provincial consent for military deployment within civilian areas.
CM Gandapur, in a separate meeting with law enforcement officials, reviewed the Bajaur situation and expressed condolences to families of both slain civilians and security personnel. He announced Rs10 million compensation for families of the deceased and Rs2.5 million for each injured person.
Senior officials including KP Chief Secretary and Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed attended the meeting.
The Bajaur clashes come on the heels of another deadly incident in the Tirah Valley, Khyber District, where seven protesters were killed and 16 others injured during a protest. Although Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the violence as an attack by “Khawarij” — a term for the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — locals blamed security forces for opening fire on demonstrators near a sensitive installation.
In response, the federal and provincial governments have both announced Rs10 million for each deceased and Rs2.5 million for each injured from the Tirah incident.
As tensions remain high, the KP government’s strong objections signal widening civil-military fissures over the approach to counterterrorism, especially in tribal districts still reeling from past conflicts.
