PESHAWAR: The elders of Khyber Agency have expressed grave concerns over delay in registration of the displaced tribal people and urged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to play his role in resolution of their problems.

Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Khyber Islahi Committee chief Haji Daud said that the people of Khyber Agency had been suffering for the last five years. The recently launched military operation ‘Khyber-1’ further added to their woes, he added.

The tribal elder said that residents of some localities in Khyber Agency had returned to their homes but the fresh military operation forced about 35,000 people to vacate their homes. He said that second displacement caused serious problems to the people, who had no resources to meet their basic needs.

Mr Daud said that the number of displaced people was increasing with each passing day but federal government had no plan to accommodate and facilitate them. The affected people did not know as to what would be their future, he added.

Tribal elder urges governor to play role in resolution of their problems

He claimed that a large number of displaced families had taken shelter at graveyards and others deserted areas in Peshawar because of lack of resources and facilities.

Flanked by other members of the committee, the tribal elder said that there was no space at Jalozai camp to accommodate the newly displaced people as 74,000 families were already residing at the camp. He said that each tent had two to three families.

Mr Daud said that the newly arrived IDPs were staying under the open sky without getting any facility. They were facing the worst situation of their life but the federal government was silent over their miseries, he added. He said that the rulers ordered military operation but didn’t provide facilities to the displaced people.

The tribal elders also criticised the local political leaders and said that they visited each house for seeking votes during the elections. The political leaders were not available to support the poor displaced families, especially the widows and orphans, he added.

Mr Daud said that the government should pay cash to IDPs of Khyber Agency and provide them with ration and other necessary items as it had provided to displaced people of Malakand division and Waziristan Agency.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2014