KHYBER: The first batch of 40 displaced Kukikhel families reached their homes in Tirah valley on Saturday after they were given clearance by the security forces stationed in the region.

All the returned families belonged to Zarmanza village of Kukikhel region near the border with Afghanistan.

The returning families were seen off by Kukikhel elders and activists of political and social organisations in Jamrud. It was after nine years that the displaced Kukikhel families were granted permission for their return.

Thousands of Kukikhel families had to vacate their houses and migrate to Jamrud, Peshawar and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2012 when security forces launched a military operation against militant groups who had captured the Kukikhel-inhabited areas.

Though there is no exact figure about the total number of displaced Kukikhel families as they refrained from registering themselves at the registration centres in 2012, local sources put their number at 18,000 but this figure was disputed by the government officials.

Noor Zahir, a local resident who accompanied the returning families, told Dawn from Zarmanza village that all the returning families were immediately provided with food and tents on their arrival.

He said a free medical camp was also established in the region to provide free treatment to the returning families.

Noor Zahir said that return of the displaced families of Korang Kallay, Karorha, Tangu and Mehraban Kallay would be started soon as these areas had also been denotified by the security forces.

The displaced Kukikhel families had long been demanding return to their areas.

They had also established a protest camp at Bab-i-Khyber in Jamrud in March which lasted for over three months and was called off after an official assurance about the start of damage assessment survey and subsequent return of the displaced families.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2021