Lack of Facilities in Tirah Valley Exposes Poor Governance Amid Security and Administrative Challenges

Tirah Valley: The severe shortage of basic facilities in Tirah Valley has laid bare poor governance, with security and administrative challenges highlighting what officials describe as gross incompetence and mismanagement by the provincial government.

Inspector General Frontier Corps (FC) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa North said that the militant group *Fitna-al-Khawarij* is fueling instability in the region and financing its activities through drug smuggling. He noted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shares a 1,224-kilometre long border with Afghanistan, posing significant security challenges.

The IG FC stated that the Frontier Corps is responsible for nearly 717 kilometres of this border, much of which consists of snow-covered, rugged mountains, high peaks, and narrow passes. He added that surveillance cameras have been installed to monitor and prevent infiltration. He emphasized that complete sealing of the border is only possible if it is respected by both sides, noting that for the first time fencing has been installed along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, effectively giving it the status of an international border.

He further said that the border fencing has restricted free movement and infiltration. Referring to last year’s incidents in Bagh Maidan, the IG FC revealed that 64 FC personnel were martyred and 198 injured, stating that no other institution has suffered such heavy losses in the area. He pointed out that in Dwattoi, a narrow passage cannot be properly checked due to lack of authority, while only three police personnel are currently deployed to monitor the entire local population.

Wing Commander Colonel Waqas highlighted the absence of civil administration in Tirah Valley, stating that for a stretch of 60 kilometres there is no district administration, police presence, or hospital. He said there are no government schools or teachers in the area, adding that when children are deprived of education, they become vulnerable to illegal activities. To address this gap, he said, the Frontier Corps is running 16 schools in the valley and has itself recruited teachers.

Colonel Waqas also pointed out the complete lack of healthcare facilities, stating that residents approach the FC even for basic medical treatment such as injections. He added that the Frontier Corps regularly organizes free medical camps for the local population.

He further noted that drug trafficking is a major problem in Tirah Valley, with *Fitna-al-Khawarij* actively involved. The group, he said, uses money collected through narcotics and extortion against security forces and civilians. According to officials, militants and criminal groups are exploiting misgovernance and the failure of local administration in Tirah Valley.