PESHAWAR: The inhabitants of North Waziristan district held a protest demonstration in Peshawar on Thursday and demanded of the federal government to take prompt steps for rehabilitation of displaced families, restoration of compensation funds and provision of ration to the affected people.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with their demands outside the Peshawar Press Club the protesters raised slogans for resolution of their problems. Several elders, including Malik Rehmatullah, Dr Qabil Zaman and Mohammad Yaseen Malik, said many of the people who had left their hometowns due to military operation against militants were yet to be rehabilitated.

They said the people who had shifted to Afghanistan were eagerly waiting for return to their homeland, but they needed the government support. They demanded of government to open Ghulam Khan and Angor Adda borders for bringing back the displaced families to their hometowns.

They also sought the federal government’s help for release of the displaced families from Afghan prisons. They said the ration supply had been suspended which had caused problems for the poor people.

They urged the government to provide essential facilities like education, healthcare and drinking water to the people.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2021