KHYBER: Newly-displaced persons from different parts of Tirah valley established a protest camp at Tharkho Kas on Monday to press the authorities for acceptance of their demands.

Khalil Afridi, a spokesman for the displaced people, told Dawn that they were not given the status of internally displaced persons (IDPs) despite passing of one and a half months when they were forced to vacate their houses on the pretext of starting a military operation against suspected militants in their areas.

He said that the displaced people knocked at every door and wrote a number of letters to both the security and administrative officials for resolution of their issues but to no avail.

Mr Afridi said that majority of the newly-displaced families were living in damaged houses or worn out tents. He said that they were exposed to the current harsh winter.

He said that the district administration and Provincial Disaster Management Authority had not extended them any help and majority of the displaced families were faced with food shortage and lack of health facilities.

He said that Tirah valley was in the grip of severe cold. He said children, women and elderly persons were infected with cold-related diseases while the relevant authorities were yet to establish a medical camp for them.

“These people are in urgent need of edibles, warm clothes, shelter and free medicines as they are living in extreme hazardous conditions,” he said.

Mr Afridi said that they would block the main road leading to Bagh-Maidan and boycott polio vaccination drive as well as the upcoming general elections, scheduled for February 8.

More than 300 families from Sanda Pal, Khapur, Ghulam Ali, Jarrobi, Dray Nagharai, Darota, Bagh-i-Haram, Kandaw Kallay and Dwa Khulay were ordered to vacate their houses in November last year as security forces announced a limited military operation against suspected militants in these areas.

Majority of the displaced families alleged that they were neither provided with free transportation nor shelters and food items at the time of their displacement which they were promised when they were asked to leave their houses.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2024