Landi Kotal Update:
The Pak-Afghan Highway, which had been closed for 65 days due to protests by the Kokikhel tribesmen, reopened on Wednesday. The protest, led by Malik Naseer Kokikhel, involved the establishment of a camp at the Bagyari Check Post to voice their grievances against the government.
The demonstration drew hundreds of tribesmen and political figures, including PTM leader Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen, former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, and notable members from PTI and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl. Support for the Kokikhel tribe’s protest came from local and provincial leaders, as well as residents of the Khyber district. They demanded the repatriation of 22,000 displaced families to their ancestral homes in various parts of the Tirah Valley, particularly in the border village of Rajgal.
The closure of the highway severely impacted residents, students, traders, and shopkeepers in Landi Kotal, Torkham, Ali Masjid, and Shalman. With no trucks allowed to transport goods to and from Peshawar, commodity prices soared, leading to significant losses in trade with Afghanistan amounting to billions of dollars for both importers and exporters.
Despite multiple rounds of talks over the past two months between Kokikhel elders and officials, no resolution was reached until Wednesday. Malik Naseer announced to The Express Tribune that an agreement was finally made, with the government pledging to facilitate the return of Tirah IDPs within six months. Registration for displaced persons is set to begin next Monday, and families will be permitted to return to their homes in Tirah after the winter season.
Authorities expressed concerns, stating that military operations were ongoing in Tirah, making it unsafe for the displaced individuals to return at this time.