BAJAUR: People from five localities in Lowi Mamund and War Mamund tehsils, recently cleared from terrorists, have started returning to their homes, locals and officials told Dawn on Thursday.

They said the residents of five areas, mostly in Lowi Mamund, were returning after the district administration issued a notification on Tuesday allowing them to do so from Wednesday.

The people of five areas of Lowi Mamund and War Mamund tehsils, including Lar Kalan, Bar Kalan, Ganam Shah, Chamyaar Johar and Chohtra, were displaced due to a security operation against terrorists.

They’re now allowed to go back to their homes following the removal of terrorists, according to a notification posted on the official Facebook page of deputy commissioner Shahid Ali Khan on Tuesday night.

However, the residents and officials of the district administration didn’t specify the number of people returned. The homecoming process got under way on Thursday.

Return allowed after removal of terrorists

They, however, told Dawn that scores of families of those areas had safely returned to their homes after remaining displaced for over a month in line with the district administration’s orders issued for their safety during the anti-terrorist operation.

Residents said both Lowi Mamund and War Mamund tehsils had recorded the safe return of people in large numbers along with their belongings on Thursday around a month after their evacuation.

They told Dawn that most residents, who were extremely excited to return, expressed immense gratitude on entering their homes. Some, mostly the elderly, even offered prayers of thanksgiving on seeing their homes safe after a month.

A number of displaced people who returned to their houses in those areas told Dawn on Thursday evening that they were overjoyed to be back to their houses after spending over a month in relief camps and relatives’ homes outside their native localities.

“We are deeply grateful to the Almighty Allah for allowing us to return to our homes after spending over a month in relief camps and relatives’ homes outside our areas, which had been our most challenging time since the last operation was carried out against terrorists in the region in 2008,” a returnee said.

He and other residents praised authorities for clearing their areas of terrorists and enabling them to return home at the earliest, saying they hadn’t expected to be able to go back home so soon.

They said all people from the areas recently declared free of terrorists were eager to return, and for it, authorities had to arrange transportation to ensure their safe and early arrival.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2025