August 15, 2008	Friday	Sha'aban 12, 1429

PESHAWAR, Aug 14: Thousands of people fleeing the Mohmand Agency due to an imminent military operation have started reaching the adjacent Peshawar and Charsadda districts.

An official source said heavy contingents of military and police force had been deployed in the Michini area and police had cordoned off entry points in the Mathra police area to check movement of outlaws.

“I saw security personnel in around 40 to 50 vehicles heading towards the Michni area situated in close vicinity to the Mohmand Agency,” said a resident of the Kado Korona area of the agency, who shifted to Peshawar along with his family.

A police official posted in the Charsadda district said people had started shifting from the Mohmand Agency on Aug 13, but he was not sure how many families had left their houses so far.

“Many people have so far come and others are coming in every available vehicle even in the motorcycle rickshaws, tractors, pickups,” he said, adding that a majority of the people had gone towards the Tangi tehsil of Charsadda.

When contacted, Mathra Union Council Nazim Jehanzeb Khan told Dawn that people in droves were coming from parts of the agency, but the flow was mostly towards Shabqadar. He said the displaced people could not easily come to adjacent localities of Peshawar because floods had washed away the Michini Bridge three years ago and the alternative means could be boats or through a makeshift bridge on foot.

A high-ranking police official said people were coming from Mohmand towards Peshawar and a large number of families had so far shifted to the nearby villages.

Witnesses said people in large number, including women and children, were seen crossing a makeshift bridge on foot at Michni. They were mostly carrying small bags and some other things.

An independent source said people were facing hardships while shifting to safe places because most of public transport vehicles were in possession of the Taliban and the other people were using taxis or going on foot with minimum of their luggage.

He said an operation against militants was also possible in villages like Shin Ghund in Peshawar, where the Taliban were said to have established their headquarters for the lower Mohmand Agency.

Capital City Police Officer Dr Mohammad Suleman said police had close coordination with other law-enforcement agencies and the situation in the limits of Peshawar was under control.