PESHAWAR: The elders of North Waziristan have threatened to observe a sit-in in Islamabad if the federal government fails to protect their business places and not allows the internally displaced persons to return to their hometowns.

Talking to mediapersons here on Friday, the representatives of North Waziristan Agency Jirga, including Malik Khan Marjan, Malik Abdul Jabbar, Malik Shah Nawaz and others, said that about a year ago the people had vacated their houses for a cleanup operation as they also wanted peace to return to their area. “Now 90 per cent of the area has been cleared of terrorists but the people belonging to Dawar tribe are still not allowed to return to their homes for unknown reasons,” said an elder.

The jirga members demanded of the government to ensure protection to public properties and markets. They said that when 90 per cent of the area was declared peaceful and cleared of militants then why the people were not allowed to return to their hometowns.

Talking about the problems faced by the tribal people as IDPs, they said that majority of the people belonged to very poor family backgrounds and didn’t have sufficient resources to feed their children.

The facilities of healthcare and education, they said were next to nil in the camps and the only solution to their problems was their return to homes.

Similarly, the NWA elders demanded of the government to approve a reasonable financial package for rehabilitation of the displaced families as they had no resources for the time being. The tribesmen also stressed the need for reopening of all the educational institutions and healthcare centres in the region so that the people on their return would not face problems.

The people appreciated the security forces for successful operation against the militants in the region and expressed the hope that the people would start a new and prosperous life if the government extended full support to them.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play