PESHAWAR: The tribesmen from Sipah clan of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency have announced they will join the Jan 26 sit-in outside Governor’s House in Peshawar to push the government for offering them financial package for rehabilitation.

The staging of the sit-in was announced by the Tehreek-i-Haqooq-i-Bara, an organisation formed and run by internally displaced persons.

Sipah tribe elder Habibur Rehman Afridi told reporters at the Peshawar Press Club on Friday that the frequent military operations in Bara tehsil had stressed out tribesmen a lot.

Flanked by elders Malik Jamshed, Irshad Afridi and Haji Siyar Khan, Afridi said unfortunately, the government didn’t bother to meet the IDPs’ demands despite protest.

Say frequent army operations in Bara stress them out

“We rendered huge sacrifices for the country but are being denied facilities,” he said.

The elder said scores of families fled Bara after the army began the Khyber-I operation against terrorists there.

He said displaced persons led a miserable life due to a lack of facilities.

Afridi also complained the police misbehaved with displaced persons in settled areas.

“We are as patriot as the citizens of the country’s other parts are and therefore, the government should treat us fairly,” he said.

The elder said the people displaced from the militancy-infested Khyber Agency needed financial support for reconstruction of houses and rehabilitation of businesses, while the damaged roads and educational and health facilities in the area should be restored.

He demanded early end to military operations and said the government should ensure safe and early return of IDPs to their respective areas.

Malik Jamshed said Fata had deliberately been kept backward in all fields though its people had rendered huge sacrifices for the country over the years and always stood by armed forces for the protection of borders.

He said the government had completely ignored displaced persons despite their sacrifices.

Irshad Afridi said Fata people were patriotic citizens of the country and that they should have financial support for returning to normalcy.

He said it would be an injustice to the people if they’re not given financial compensation and security.

The elders demanded that the federal and provincial governments announce a comprehensive compensation package and immediately open registration for the families displaced from the agency recently.

They said tribesmen were unwilling to return home until their damaged houses were rebuilt and local hospitals, schools and other government facilities were reopened.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2015

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