PESHAWAR/BANNU: Instead of focusing on the humanitarian aspects of the mass displacement from North Waziristan Agency, both the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and federal governments seem to be engaged in political point scoring.

The officials told Dawn on Thursday that stakeholders handling the matters related to IDPs lacked coordination and cooperation, so it was adversely affecting relief activities.

“The entire relief operation is being politicised, which is very unfortunate,” said a senior official dealing with the relief programme.

He said currently, the army, the state and frontier region ministry, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) had engaged themselves in relief activities and thus, creating a mess.

Official says PDMA should lead operations but its role is not visible

The official said in principle, the PDMA should lead the operations, but its role was not visible at the moment.

“The institutions, which have nothing to do with the humanitarian operation, are in the driving seat and have taken over the entire operation,” he said.

PDMA director general Tahir Orakzai and the spokesman for the authority were not available to Dawn despite repeated attempts.

Until now, a total of 876,999 IDPs from North Waziristan has been registered.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and PDMA seem to be not on the same page.

The chief minister launched an appeal through an advertisement on behalf of the provincial government seeking assistance for IDPs.

Also read: North Waziristan IDPs figure reaches 800,000

The PDMA, however, said the government didn’t launch such appeal.

“The government has not launched an appeal for humanitarian assistance for the displaced population of North Waziristan,” says a statement uploaded on the official website of the PDMA.

The advertisements issued to various newspapers carrying an appealing for international humanitarian organisations and NGOs to immediately collaborate with the provincial government to start relief programme for the IDPs.

It said the federal government’s cash support programme being provided to the IDPs was insufficient and it should be increased to meet immediate expenses of the affected people and families.

The advertisement said Bannu’s limited facilities had been overwhelmed; hence more aid was required while health facilities were also inadequate.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar told a news conference in Bannu on Thursday that the federal government should realise its responsibilities regarding IDPs and fulfil their basic needs at the current critical juncture.

He was accompanied by health minister Shahram Tarakai and information minister Mushtaq Ghani.

The speaker said with the registration of over 800,000 IDPs from North Waziristan, the number of displaced population reached two millions in the province, which had overburdened its resources.

He said instead of making verbal announcements, the federal government should take practical steps and increase monthly cash grant from Rs12,000 to Rs50,000.

He said money had not been transferred to IDPs by mobile phone SIM cards and thus increasing desperation among the displaced families.

He demanded that the province be declared tax free under the current circumstances.

Health minister Shahram Tarakai said his department had released Rs12.5 million to three main hospitals of Bannu to provide health facilities to the displaced people.

He said it was unfortunate that the federal government had launched military operation in North Waziristan without planning and without taking the provincial government in confidence.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2014