PESHAWAR: A jirga of South and North Waziristan agencies has rejected the government committee for assessment of collateral damage in the tribal areas during military operations and demanded inclusion of tribal elders in the body.

The participants of the jirga also demanded of the government to give a timeframe for rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons from the tribal areas.

The jirga of the two tribal agencies was held at Bagh-i-Naran, Hayatabad here on Wednesday which was largely attended by people from different walks of life, including some former government officials, belonging to the tribal regions.

Expressing deep concern over delay in solution to the problems being faced by IDPs, the tribal elders decided to hold a grand jirga in Bannu on Oct 10 to decide future line of action.

Prominent among the speakers were Ahmed Khan Mehsud, Rehmat Shah, Malik Marjan, former additional inspector general of police Rehmatullah, Dr Zia, Dr Daud and Abdul Qadir. The jirga was also attended by some retired bureaucrats hailing from the tribal areas.

The participants of the jirga rejected a committee formed by the government for assessment of damage in the tribal areas and said that they would not accept the committee unless tribal elders were included in it.

Demand inclusion of tribal elders in the committee and early return of IDPs

The speakers said that maximum area of Waziristan was cleared but the IDPs were not allowed to return to their homes. They said that it was beyond their imagination.

Demanding compensation for the destroyed and damaged houses and commercial buildings, the tribal elders urged the government to take pragmatic steps for early rehabilitation of IDPs and reconstruction of the destroyed buildings.

They also demanded construction of a university in Shawal area and construction of degree colleges and tehsil level hospitals in both the tribal agencies.

They said that tribal students were affected badly because they could not continue their studies after their dislocation from their area. They said that government should sense gravity of the situation and resolve their problems on priority basis.

The jirga demanded of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan to avoid constituting committees of unconcerned people because tribal people would not accept any such body unless they were given proper representation in it.

“Only local people can pinpoint the damage and losses suffered by tribal people in the military operation as compared to anyone from other area,” Mr Mehsud said and asked the governor to avoid taking such steps which could create unrest among the displaced families.

On the occasion, a committee was formed to contact the relevant government officials to resolve the issue of compensation to the tribal people and ensure early rehabilitation of the displaced persons.

Some of the speakers criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaf for its prolonged sit-in in Islamabad. They said that the issues of IDPs were ignored owing to the prolonged protest of PTI. The federal government had failed to pay due attention to the tribal people, they added.

Similarly, the participants of the jirga also criticised the government for its failure to provide sufficient and quality food and clean drinking water to IDPs in the camps. “We have vacated our houses and left our properties as peaceful and patriotic Pakistanis in the best interest of the country but the government is least bothered to extend cooperation to us,” they said.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami has also demanded rehabilitation of the IDPs of North Waziristan Agency and decided to hold a meeting with tribal elders at Al-Markazi-i-Islami Peshawar on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, JI provincial emir Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan said that Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar had promised to provide all facilities to IDPs in their camps but he could not keep his words.

He said that no proper camp was set up for the IDPS and they were forced to vacate the school buildings on Aug 28 which further complicated their issues.

The JI leader said that Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel had claimed to have cleared 80 per cent of the area in South Waziristan but IDPs were not allowed to return homes.

He said that the Thursday’s meeting would be attended by at least by 200 tribal elders to discuss the issues of IDPs and put suggestions for their rehabilitation.

Published in Dawn, October 9th , 2014