LANDI KOTAL: Keeping in view the increasing number of families fleeing Bara, Fata Disaster Management Authority has established two more registration points in Peshawar and Jamrud.

Another registration point in Orakzai Agency at Jalako Mela has been operating since the start of military operation in Bara on October 16.

FDMA officials said that a new registration point was established at Lala Kandaw near Ali Masjid in Jamrud while another was set up in Sarband area of Peshawar to facilitate the families fleeing Akkakhel area in Tirah and Malikdinkhel and Sipah areas in Bara, Khyber Agency.

They said that cash along with cooked food was provided to the families, who had their own transport, while the rest were provided free transport up to Pabbi in Nowshera district where over 5,000 displaced families had been residing in Jalozai camp since September 2009.

“We do not force anyone to go to either Jalozai camp near Pabbi or Togh Sarai camp near Hangu,” FDMA officials said. It is discretion of IDPs where they opt to reside.

According to FDMA, as many as 2,437 displaced families comprising 19,806 individuals have so far been registered at the three registration points in Orakzai, Jamrud and Peshawar.

Sources in Akkakhel, Malikdinkhel and Sipah areas of Bara told Dawn by telephone that hundreds of local residents were still on their way to Peshawar. They walked on foot for several miles before reaching Batta Thal and Sheikhan localities of Peshawar, they added.

Sources said that members of banned militant outfit Lashkar-i-Islam were seen stopping some families forcibly from leaving their houses in parts of Akkakhel and Sipah areas.

They said that most of the local residents had almost exhausted their food stocks and were in urgent need of edibles. Security forces had on October 15 closed all entry and exit points to Bara and restricted most of the residents to their homes.

BUS: The political administration of Khyber Agency donated a bus to Government Degree College Landi Kotal and announced construction of a 7,000 gallons over-head water tank at the college.

Assistant Political Agent Tayyab Abdullah handed over the keys of the bus to the college staff and said that the administration bought the vehicle from its own resources. Students of the college had long been demanding provision of a bus as the old one broke down almost a decade ago.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2014