BAKAKHEL: Commander of the 11th Corps of the Pakistan Army Lt-General Khalid Rabbani on Thursday said security forces had cleared around 80 kilometres stretch from Khajori checkpost to Dattakhel from militants in the restive North Waziristan Agency.

He was speaking at Bakakhel camp after celebrating the Independence Day with the internally displaced persons.

Tribesmen, children, and military officers attended the function in large numbers.

Lt-Gen Rabbani hoisted the national flag on the premises of the camp set up in Frontier Region Bannu adjacent to North Waziristan.

Corps commander celebrates Independence Day with IDPs; says no timeframe for operation’s completion

Children presented tableau, performed traditional dances and sang national songs.

On the occasion, the commander said ground forces had completed house-to-house search operation in the area.

He said like six other agencies of Fata, militancy would be wiped out from North Waziristan Agency with the help of the local people.

When asked about the return of IDPs to their homes, Lt-General Khalid said the army could not give timeframe for the completion of combat operation and the subsequent repatriation of IDPs.

The army had launched the Zarb-i-Azb operation in the Taliban-controlled North Waziristan on June 18.

The officials claimed over 500 local and foreign militants had been killed in operation.

Lt-General Rabbani said 31 soldiers had lost life, while 117 officers and soldiers had suffered injuries and most of them were critical.

“I can’t give timeframe for the return of IDPs,” he said.

He, however, said tribesmen would be sent back to their homes when the area was fully secured.

The commander’s body language shows that militants had offered stiff resistance to the security forces, which had resulted in the widespread damages to public property.

Lt-General Khalid said the forces would retaliate in case of attacks against them and that would definitely lead to damages to public property.

He said local people had shared information with security forces and identified locations, where weapons and ammunition were dumped.

The commander said people of North Waziristan had rendered huge sacrifices to make Pakistan safe and secure.

The Bakakhel camp run by the army’s Engineers Brigade has been set up on the barren land.

National flags were hoisted on tents.

Contrary to the international norms and conventions, personnel were seen carrying heavy guns inside the camp.

Under the international humanitarian law, possessing and carrying weapons and ammunition at the displaced persons’ camps are not allowed.

Only 35 of the total 54,080 registered displaced families from North Waziristan have taken shelter in the camp.

The rest of the families have either taken shelter with relatives or in rented houses in Bannu and other areas of the country. A large number of tents pitched in the camp are empty.

The IDPs said cooked food and other basic facilities were being provided to them in the camp and that free transport was given to them from the camp to Bannu city.

According to them, they have to ensure entry to the camp before sunset and that they have to get security pass before leaving or entering the premises.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2014