PESHAWAR: The residents of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency have started migrating to safer places owing to the ongoing military operation in the area.

During a visit to Bara Qadeem, Shaikhan and Sarband on Saturday dozens of families were seen marching on the link routes from Bara to Peshawar. 

They said that public transport vehicles were not available and they were compelled to cover the five-kilometre distance between Arjal Nadi of Khyber Agency and Sarband area of Peshawar on foot.

Qalam Khan Shinwari of Akakhel Mera Khel, who along with his 25 family members was waiting at Sarband cattle fare for a vehicle to transport them to Shah Kas, told Dawn that he saved his family as stray bullets and rocket shells were falling everywhere.

Another resident of the area, Sajid Khan, said that he was shifting his 12-member family to the house of a relative at Badbher because their lives were in danger in Bara.

Fida Mohammad, a resident of Nali village, said that people were not ready to leave their houses but they started fleeing towards safer places when Lashkar-i-Islam chief Mangal Bagh set a dead line on his FM Radio to the security forces for withdrawal from Bara and warned to retaliate. 

A number of other people present on the occasion said that they were not feeling secure in Bara anymore. ‘People are leaving Bara in large number to save their lives,’ said Lal Bar Khan.

The fleeing people were avoiding commenting on the role of security forces and Mangal Bagh. When asked about the ongoing operation many of them said that silence was best option for them at present.
 
Al-Khidmat Foundation had set up a temporary reception camp at Ring Chowk to provide Iftari to Bara people.

The foundation’s field officer Hazrat Aman told Dawn that about 250 families had left Bara so far for other places.
 
He said his foundation was considering to establish a camp for them at the Ring Road so that they could get necessary edible items and move further.