Leaders of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have agreed to a new five-point deal aimed at reducing the impact of their armed struggle on civilians in the restive Tirah valley of Khyber tribal district. The agreement, signed by the TTP’s ‘supreme council’ (Rahbari Shura), was read aloud to a gathering of local tribesmen on Tuesday. It addressed local demands to end hostilities against ordinary tribespeople, but the TTP refused to commit to a full pullout from the area.
The key points of the agreement, read out by a Bar Qambarkhel elder, included a pledge that the TTP would no longer use civilians as human shields in their fight against security forces. Furthermore, the group vowed to stop extorting money from locals under the guise of Zakat and Ushr. The agreement, stamped with the TTP’s official seal, emphasized that while the group would continue its armed resistance against security forces, it would not interfere with the personal affairs of the local population.
“Our sole purpose is an armed struggle (jihad) against anti-Islam forces and their collaborators,” the agreement stated. It also specified that TTP members would not shelter in private homes or use them as bunkers against security forces and would resist any attempt by the military to capture or eliminate them from private properties.
In addition, the TTP promised that none of its members would demand money from locals in the name of Ushr or Zakat. The agreement included a strong warning that strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty of violating this rule. It also declared that the TTP would no longer be involved in any form of abduction or torture, labeling such actions as harmful to their “sacred armed struggle.”
The deal further outlined that any killing of innocent locals, abductions, or acts of torture allegedly carried out by unidentified armed men would be investigated by the TTP in accordance with Sharia law. Local elders would be required to provide evidence for such claims, and the TTP vowed to take appropriate action if their members were found guilty.
This agreement comes after months of tension in Tirah, triggered by incidents of violence against locals. In July, a girl was killed in a firing incident after her parents refused to pay Ushr, and two disabled brothers were critically injured in a similar incident. These events sparked widespread protests, with hundreds of Bar Qambarkhel tribesmen marching to a TTP center, demanding that the group leave their area.
While the agreement was lauded by many locals, some expressed skepticism, particularly because it did not include a commitment to remove the TTP from the region. Critics also questioned why security forces had not yet launched a targeted operation against the group, despite multiple negotiations between the TTP and local elders.
Despite these concerns, the majority of Tirah residents expressed hope that the agreement would lead to a reduction in violence and harassment from militant groups in the region.
