ISLAMABAD: Recording the plight of the internally displaced persons from Fata, Shaheed Bhutto Foundation (SBF) held a photo exhibition Sunday morning, documenting migration and settlement of people who have become refugees in their own country.

Held in the galleries of Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), the show depicts how the military operation, Zarb-i-Azb, had forced people from Fata to leave their homes and find shelter in camps.

The exhibition titled ‘Aqs-i-Johad - Reflection of Struggle’ displayed over 35 photographs of the internally-displaced people.

The photographs capture moments where people are gathering their modest belongings, destitute mothers with their helpless children, and men stuffing their belongings into overloaded trucks.

Most of the photographs have been shot in areas such as Saidgai checkpost that borders North Waziristan. Moments where migrants line up at Nadra mobile registration vans, registration desks, Saidgai food distribution points and health centres are also documented.

— Photos by Khurram Amin

“They are sacrificing their comfort for the rest of the country; the rest of the country should do the same for them,” said Program Manager, SBF, Hassan Akhtar.

Mr Akhtar said the main reason to hold this exhibition was to bring to the fore the sufferings of the displaced people. He said while interviewing these people, one gets to know how their lives had turned upside down.

He said from his experience working with different institutions dealing with disaster management, it was evident that no one really knew how to deal with crisis.

“Under disaster management, trainings and workshops are arranged for organisations in handling crisis, but they are never found working on ground,” Hassan Akhtar said.

Sketching a picture on the ground, Hassan Akhtar said the exodus was not new to the area. People had been displaced before, but it seems no lessons have been learnt from past mistakes.

He believed that the photo exhibit in the capital was not just for the government, but also a reminder for the people to once again unite and help these people in need.

The event was inaugurated by former governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Barrister Masood Kausar, and would run till Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2014