Tribes residing along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border in Lower Dir have declared their decision to take up arms against Khawarij present in the area, vowing to expel both the Khawarij and their facilitators from their territories. The announcement came after a grand tribal jirga convened in Maskini Darra, a border region of Lower Dir, where community elders resolved not to allow any Khawarij presence in their localities.
According to local reports, the jirga unanimously decided that any Khawarij attempting sabotage or subversive activities would face confiscation of their properties. Families of Khawarij and their facilitators would also be expelled from the area. The jirga further resolved to organise armed patrols during night hours to restrict Khawarij movement and safeguard the community.
The development follows recent intelligence assessments in which security officials confirmed that Khawarij, many of them of Afghan origin, have been operating from within populated areas in Bajaur, engaging in extremist and criminal activities. In response, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government alongside Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur and senior security officials—had presented three clear options to local tribal leaders in affected areas.
The first directive urged the tribes to take the lead in expelling the Khawarij from their territories. If that proved unfeasible, the second option advised temporarily vacating their areas for one or two days to enable security forces to conduct targeted operations to eliminate the Khawarij. The third directive stressed that if neither of these steps could be implemented, the tribes must cooperate to ensure minimal collateral damage during inevitable operations, which would continue without interruption.
Security sources reiterated that there will be no dialogue with the Khawarij or their facilitators at any level unless they unconditionally surrender to the state. Officials stressed that operations against the Khawarij will persist until their complete eradication.
The strong stance taken by the Lower Dir tribes marks a significant development in local resistance to Khawarij infiltration, reinforcing national counter-extremism efforts along the western border regions.
