UPPER DIR: The quake-affected people have complained that the relief goods are not reaching them and instead being distributed among the political activists and non-deserving people in Dir town, the headquarters of Upper Dir.

They say that the food items, including flour, ghee, etc, are being given to the political activists and non-deserving people, while the people affected by the Oct 26 earthquake are helpless and not getting anything. The distribution point was established near the Met office in Dir.

When an army official was asked about the matter, he said that they were here only to ensure smooth process of distribution. He, however, ordered suspension of the distribution after listening to the people’s complaints.

The affected people complained that they did not receive the relief goods after waiting there since morning. “I saw many people loading the goods on vehicles and I along with other deserving people waited for our turn since morning,” said Rahmatullah Jan, whose house was destroyed in the earthquake.

Azizur Rehman said that his 18-member family had been facing shortage of food and he had come with a hope to get some food items, but had to return disappointed. “Both the district administration and the district government are behind the unjust distribution,” he said.

The affected people of three union councils, Jabbar, Tarpatar and Palam of Usheri Dara, also blocked the main Dir-Peshawar road for almost two hours in Darora to protest against the unjust distribution of food items.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2015

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