PESHAWAR: The internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Khyber Agency have expressed grave concern over the government’s failure to facilitate them in the camps and demanded a comprehensive package for their early rehabilitation.

A group of elders of the IDPs, led by Mohammad Farooq Afridi, told a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday that most of the militants-infested areas of Khyber Agency had been cleared, but they were not allowed to return to their homes.

The elders, who belong to Malikdinkhel tribe, demanded of the government to ensure their early return to homes because they had suffered heavily during the past six years of displacement and now leading a very miserable life in the IDPs’ camp.

Flanked by other elders of the area, including Hazar Gul Afridi, Mohammad Saeed, Nauman Khan and Saifur Rehman, Farooq Afridi said that during the three consecutive military operations carried out during the past six years the entire infrastructure, including buildings of various government departments, were destroyed. He said that owing to the indifferent behaviour of the federal government the displaced families had decided to observe a sit-in outside the Governor House, Peshawar, on Jan 26 to press for acceptance of their demands.

Elders demand comprehensive package for early rehabilitation

He said that the tribesmen had been living in a miserable condition due to the prolonged curfews and operations in Khyber Agency. He said that the people had left all their belongings behind and shifted to different cities and camps.

The operations, he said, had caused a mass displacement from the restive tribal agency. He said the education and health facilities along with road infrastructure had been razed.

“Our children have been deprived of education facility, as they had fled to safer places in the wake of the security forces action,” Mr Afridi said.

He said that the Government Degree College, Kohi Sher, alone had 500 students, but it was also closed for the past many years. He said that houses full of valuable belongings of the tribal people had been turned into rubble by excessive bombardment during the operations in Khyber Agency and the people would have to arrange everything afresh.

Farooq Afridi, who belongs to Jamaat-i-Islami, said that following the launch of the military operation “Khyber One” a large number of tribesmen had fled from the agency and taken shelter in temporary residential facility. He complained that the government and relevant authorities had failed to provide them adequate facilities at their makeshift camps.

He demanded of the government to immediately announce a comprehensive compensation package for their rehabilitation and provision of education and health facilities along with Shuhada package for the IDPs of Bara tehsil. He warned that the IDPs had already formed Tehreek Haqooq-i-Bara and a large number of displaced persons would participate in the Jan 26 sit-in.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2015

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