Citizens of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have raised urgent calls for immediate and effective action against the nexus of terrorists and drug traffickers in the Tirah Valley of Khyber District, warning that the illicit money generated in these operations ultimately funds the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and is used to target Pakistan. Residents cited the recent explosion at the Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters in Peshawar as the latest and most alarming example of this trend.
Local communities expressed deep concern over the increasing wave of militancy in the province, attributing it largely to the continued presence of foreign militants and extremist networks operating from Afghan soil. “The rising terrorist threat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cannot be tackled in isolation,” a senior local official said. “It requires a coordinated strategy between provincial and federal authorities to dismantle these networks and cut off the financial lifelines that sustain them.”
Security sources confirmed that operations are ongoing in the Tirah Valley to neutralize terrorist hideouts and dismantle smuggling routes that channel weapons, narcotics, and funds into Pakistan. These routes, residents claim, are often exploited to finance cross-border terrorist activities, particularly by the TTP.
“People here fully support the security forces,” a local community leader said. “We stand with the authorities in their operations against both militants and criminal networks. The Peshawar FC blast is a warning for the entire province that the threat is real and growing.”
Experts note that the convergence of drug trafficking and terrorism in border districts like Khyber not only finances militant operations but also undermines regional stability. Cutting off these funding streams is seen as a critical step in curbing attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilian targets alike.
The public’s demand reflects broader concerns about the need for a more integrated and proactive counterterrorism approach, combining intelligence, military operations, and community cooperation to protect citizens and prevent militant networks from exploiting the province as a transit point for terrorism.
