When Criticism Turned Ugly
The debate quickly slipped into familiar Pakistani fault lines: province-baiting, ethnic insinuations, and personal abuse. At one point, commentary descended to attacks on personal relationships—suggesting someone should speak up because of who they married or what ethnicity their spouse belongs to.
That is indefensible.
Humanitarian concern is not a marital obligation. Advocacy is not inherited through bloodlines. The moment identity is weaponized, the issue itself is lost.
The Cannabis and Chilgoza Side-Narratives
As if the discourse wasn’t crowded enough, fringe arguments resurfaced—dragging Tirah’s long-known cannabis cultivation and comparisons with chilgoza (pine nut) initiatives in former conflict zones of Waziristan.
Yes, Tirah has historically been a major cannabis-growing region.
Yes, chilgoza farming has received structured state and security facilitation elsewhere.
But conflating illegal narcotics economies disrupted by militancy with legal agro-rehabilitation projects is not analysis—it’s rhetorical sleight of hand. There is no evidence of institutional “control” or profiteering equivalence. These comparisons muddy understanding rather than clarify it.
