PESHAWAR, July 11: An overwhelming majority of the people displaced from Swat are set to go back to their homes, as the provincial government has chalked out a detailed plan for their return from Monday.

Under the first phase of the three-stage repatriation plan, the displaced people from 11 officially designated camps will return to the valley from July 13 to July 20. This would be followed by return of off-camp IDPs, which would continue for about 10 days, NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said at a press conference here on Saturday.

Emergency Response Unit’s chief Azam Khan and Special Support Group’s Colonel Waseem also attended the news conference.

Initially, the ERU had prepared a plan for the return of IDPs from Buner, but most of them have already gone to their areas. “We have assessed that around 70 per cent of the IDPs from Buner have already returned and, if required, we will provide transport to the remaining people from there,” an ERU official said.

Under the plan prepared by the ERU, in the first phase around 5,760 displaced families from Landakai, Kota, Guratai and Barikot areas of Swat will leave for their areas on July 13 and 14. In the second phase, another 5,760 families from Ghalagai, Maniar, Udigram and Ballogram would return on July 15 and 16.

In the final phase, around 11,520 families from Mingora City, Central City, Hajiabad and Malukabad would leave for their areas from July 17 to 20.

Mr Hussain said that a total of 23,040 families would return home from the camps set up in Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera and Charsadda in three phases.

He said that fool-proof security measures would be adopted and the route leading to Swat would be manned by the army, Frontier Constabulary and police.

“Curfew will remain intact in the Malakand region and the vehicles used for transportation of the IDPs will carry special stickers,” he said, adding that no other vehicle would be allowed to enter the region.

The minister said that army helicopters would also fly along the convoys. Each convoy will have about 40 vehicles, including buses and trucks.

The return plan was named as Neway Sahar (dawn of new beginning).

The ERU official said that transportation for the IDPs, along with livestock, would be provided by the unit.

The minister said that a schedule for return of the IDPs from other areas of Swat, Dir and Buner would be announced after the completion of the three-phase plan.

He said the government had approved a proposal for increasing the number of tehsils and police stations in Swat and Buner districts. He said that Swat would have seven tehsils, instead of three. These are: Babozai, Khwazakhela, Barikot, Charbagh, Bahrain, Kabal and Matta. Similarly, Buner will have three tehsils, instead of one. These are: Daggar, Gagra and Mandal.