PESHAWAR: Displaced families from North Waziristan tribal district have alleged denial of the payment of compensation to them and asked the provincial governor to intervene for corrective steps.

They threatened a march on Islamabad and a sit-in outside parliament on the matter.

In a joint statement issued here on Monday, elders of the families displaced from North Waziristan also blamed their misery on the relevant Fata Development Authority officials saying their payments have been unnecessarily delayed despite repeated visits to the offices of the relevant authorities.

They said their houses and shops were damaged during militancy and military operation against militants and therefore, they should be paid compensation without delay for reconstruction.

Accuse civic body of unnecessarily delaying payments

The elders said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor should take notice of the negligence on part of the relevant FDMA officials and ensure early payments to them.

They also called for the restoration of educational activities in the region through rebuilding of both damaged and destroyed schools.

The elders feared that they wouldn’t get compensation at all.

They said a group of tribal youths recently demonstrated for the early payment of compensation but ironically, the relevant authorities didn’t take corrective measures.

The elders asked the National Accountability Bureau to initiate an inquiry into the matter and arrest the culpable, corrupt people.

They complained that houses and shops had been destroyed in their region, all kinds of business activities had come to a standstill and the residents faced serious financial problems.

The elders also said the educational and health facilities in North Waziristan were almost nonexistent but the federal government had turned a blind eye to the people’s misery.

“We have already suffered a lot due to the prolonged militancy. We and other residents are in dire need of the government’s support for rehabilitation,” an elder.

The elders warned that they would march on Islamabad and stage a sit-in outside parliament if their demands weren’t met without delay.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2018