PESHAWAR: The students belonging to Khyber Agency on Wednesday held a protest demonstration outside Peshawar Press Club against the government for its failure to give the status of internally displaced person (IDP) to the newly dislocated families and demanded early rehabilitation of the people. They were holding banners and placards inscribed with the demands for concluding the military operation as soon as possible, rehabilitation of the displaced families and approval of a package for them.

Talking to mediapersons, the students’ leaders, including Zahidullah, Muslim Khan, Mohammad Bilal and Usman Shah, demanded of the federal government to declare Khyber Agency as calamity-hit area and announce a comprehensive package for welfare of its people on the pattern of Malakand division and Waziristan Agency.

They also demanded increase in the quota for students of Khyber Agency in different educational institutions of the country as they were feeling a sense of deprivation due to closure of all the schools and colleges in the tribal region.

The students also urged the government to compensate families of those killed and wounded in the military operation. They asked the officials of Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) to stop, what they called, the loot and plunder in the name of IDPs and provide facilities to the displaced families, especially in the Jalozai camp.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers from Khyber Agency set up a protest camp outside the press club against FDMA for what they said its failure to provide them sufficient ration in Jalozai camp.

Talking to mediapersons, PTI Fata organiser Mohammad Iqbal Afridi said that the federal government had ignored IDPs and they were living in extremely miserable conditions.

“The newly dislocated people have not been registered as IDPs so far and many of the poor families are facing problems in getting daily use items,” he said. Mr Afridi claimed that the credit went to PTI which provided ration and other items in several phases while the provincial government also paid cash to the displaced families though it was not its responsibility.

“We have started protest demonstrations, which will continue unless the government realises its duty and provide ration and other essential commodities to the people,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2014