ISLAMABAD: The internally displaced persons (IDPs) of South Waziristan Agency have been protesting outside the National Press Club for the last eight days, demanding rehabilitation to their hometown.

After being unable to receive any response from the quarters concerned, the militancy-hit Mehsud protesters on Tuesday warned to extend their protest to Rawalpindi and United Nations (UN) offices.

“We have been in Islamabad for the last eight days but no political figure, human rights activists or any other nationalist group has approached us. Terrorism is a national issue but unfortunately only Mehsud tribe is bearing the brunt,” Sherpao Mehsud, leader of over 40 Mehsud IDPs told the participants.

Sherpao Mehsud, 35, a known shepherd in SWA has led IDPs to Islamabad for second time demanding rehabilitation of Mehsud tribe to their native town after they were displaced in the wake of Rah-e-Nijat military operation launched in 2009.

“This is not the war of Mehsud tribe only. Neither the government is establishing its writ in SWA nor purging the tribal area of terrorists. What is our fault? We will waste a generation if our children are unable to get education while living as refugees in our own country,” Sherpao told Dawn.

Although no politician has so far visited the protest camp of the IDPs, lawmakers from Fata know the importance of the demands put forth by the IDPs and have been continuously visiting them requesting them to wind up the protest.

From Senator Saleh Shah belonging to SWA to FATA MNAs including Maulana Jamaluddin, Ghalid Wazir, Shah Ji Gul Afridi and notables of Mehsud tribe, all have urged them to end their demonstration but the IDPs do not pay any heed to requests.

“These lawmakers have done nothing to give relief to the people of South Waziristan. Either they cannot speak or they (leaders) are not concerned. We will show to the world that the peaceful Mehsud people have lost more than the terrorists have suffered. We have been sandwiched between Taliban and the government,” Sherpao maintained.

The IDPs most of them educated but settled in other parts of the country vowed to hold press conferences, seminars and peaceful protest rallies in Islamabad.

“Our next venue will be D Chowk and then we will converge on Rawalpindi and finally present a memorandum to UN so that the government and human rights activists could know what really is happening in the troubled area,” Advocate Kalimullah Mehsud said.

The IDPs complained that Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) turned down their request to establish camp outside the press club adding that the displaced people had been staying at private hotels.

“Nobody is cooperating with us but we will not surrender and continue the protest until our demand is met,” Sherpao Mehsud said.