Pakistan, Jan. 28 -- Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Tuesday categorically stated that no military operation was being carried out in Tirah Valley, terming the migration of people a routine and seasonal process due to harsh weather and snowfall.

Addressing a press conference along with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Prime Minister's Coordinator for Information Ikhtiar Wali Khan, the defence minister said, "There has been no operation in Tirah Valley for many years. These are all assumptions."

He said that it was strategically decided that intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were more effective than large-scale operations, adding that the armed forces had stopped such operations years ago in ...