January 19, 2002	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 4, 1422

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LAHORE, Jan 18: Border area people have started returning homes, though at a slow pace.

“Almost one-third population of the villages close to the zero line across the BRB have returned,” villagers told a team comprising journalists and representatives of the Labour Party Pakistan, the AGHS Legal Aid Cell, the Joint Action Committee for Women Rights, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Shirkatgah.

About the difficulties they faced during evacuation and at their homes, they said the most pressing problems was the shortage of fodder for their cattleheads. “Since our fields have been acquired by army for defence purposes, we face acute fodder shortage in the area,” they said.

To a question, they said economic problems had forced them to return home. “We have spent our savings on our stay in rented houses in safer places, eatables and fodder,”

Muhammad Arif, a labour councillor from Nathoki village, said even if the troops were pulled back today, things would not be normal for them even during the coming months.

He urged the government to exempt them from the payment of electricity dues for three months.

Mahmood Ahmad, also of Nathoki, said during the 1965 war the people of safer places had helped them by free supply of eatables and other things but this time they were being deprived of their belongings by dacoits.

Transporters who had been charging Rs300 for a trip to Lahore were now demanding Rs3,000 for shifting their households and animals, he regretted.

He said they had to sell their animal at throwaway prices for they could not keep and feed them at new places. Many a people also sold rice and wheat, stored for their own families, as they had no money to pay the increased transportation charges.

The womenfolk of the area said that they were facing a new social problem in the shape of cancellation of engagements of their sons by their relatives living in safer places. “They are not ready to send their daughters to border areas,” said Haleema, a general councillor.

Iftikhar, a shopkeeper of Lallo village, said his sale had come down to about Rs400 from Rs1,500 daily after the heightening of tension on the border. He said these days most of his customers were military men who were purchasing cigarettes etc. from him.

Ranjha Fauji said some people were returning but without their household items or animals.

Azmatullah said this time the people, however, were feeling themselves more secure in that the army had erected defence lines around their villages and the Indians would not dare to enter their area easily.