The Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Information for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs Ikhtiar Wali Khan has said that terrorists are being “facilitated and given refuge to” in the tribal areas of the province, because of which security forces are compelled to carry out operations.

The remarks come days after alleged aerial strikes in KP’s Tirah valley killed at least two dozen residents, including women and children. The incident prompted protests in the region, with local tribesmen, as well as the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, calling for an inquiry into the matter.

On the other hand, officials claimed that the explosions that led to the killings were caused by terrorists storing and manufacturing explosive devices in houses.

During an interview on the DawnNewsTV show ‘Doosra Rukh’, Wali was questioned about the PTI-led government in KP criticising the security situation in the province, with some suggesting the party was on board with military operations, while others claimed the party opposed the measures. He was asked how he viewed this apparent contradiction.

In response, Wali said, “Our brothers, sisters, friends, sons, children, and elders in tribal areas should not give refuge to people targeted in military operations.”

“Do not make people who are wanted by the state your guests,” Wali asserted.

When asked if he meant locals were sheltering the terrorists, Wali replied: “It certainly cannot be an outsider. How would the terrorists be operating in these areas otherwise?”

“Someone has to be giving refuge to them and facilitating them. And when operations are carried out, our citizens also lose their lives.”

At this point, Wali was asked to confirm if he was saying that locals of tribal areas were giving refuge to terrorists.

To this, Wali did not respond in the affirmative but instead repeated his claim, saying, “There certainly has to be facilitation from some side.”

The country, mainly KP and Balochistan, has lately witnessed a rise in terrorist incidents, particularly after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a peace deal with the government and vowed to attack security forces, police, and law enforcement personnel.

Earlier this month, at least one person was killed in a bomb blast while a cricket match was being played in KP’s Bajaur district on Saturday, according to the police.

In May, four children were killed and five others, including a woman, were injured in a suspected quadcopter munitions drop in Mir Ali tehsil of North Waziristan district, prompting locals to protest against frequent strikes.

Locals there staged a sit-in for over a week with the victims’ bodies, demanding justice.

While earlier this year, at least 11 people were killed in Mardan in what locals insisted was a drone strike, but officials said was an operation carried out against militants. According to locals, the deceased were civilians, including women and children, working as shepherds.