PESHAWAR: After putting on hold evacuation of around 4,000 families from Eidek area of North Waziristan Agency to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the security forces have shifted them three kilometres away to Peer Kallay and collected arms and ammunition from them.

Residents said that the security forces launched a house-to-house search operation in the area near Eisha checkpost and collected weapons after they were evacuated from their homes.

One resident told Dawn on phone that the search operation was conducted a few days ago and people were evacuated to Peer Kallay. He said that before the search operation people were shifted to Peer Kallay where tents had been provided. He said that some families had taken shelter in abandoned houses.

“The officials assured the residents that the government would pay them for their weapons taken away by the security forces,” he said, adding that despite completion of the operation and collection of weapons people were not allowed to go back to their homes.

An official said that some families had been dislocated internally where basic facilities had been provided while some families had moved out to Bannu. He said that evacuation of civilians from Eidek had been completed. He expressed ignorance about payment for weapons to the tribesmen.

Eidek, located in Mirali sub-division, and its inhabitants were exempted from displacement. The political administration had served notices on the residents on August 7 and asked them to leave the area immediately.

Sources said that after receiving notices the elders formed a jirga and held meetings with quarters concerned in Islamabad and Peshawar and the plan was postponed. Over 52,000 families have been evacuated from North Waziristan in the wake of military operation.

Residents of Eidek said that before the launch of operation Zarb-i-Azb on June 18, the administration had assured them that they would not be dislocated. They said that militants never entered Eidek and residents had always cooperated with the security forces.

Published in Dawn, August 31, 2014