PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) central president Senator Aimal Wali Khan has called upon the provincial and federal governments to immediately provide relief to families displaced from Chitral’s border areas in the wake of recent tension and cross-border firing between Pakistani security forces and Afghan Taliban.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, he expressed deep concern over the plight of residents of Arandu and other adjoining villages who have reportedly been forced to flee their homes and seek shelter in Drosh and other parts of Lower Chitral. He said the displaced families were facing severe hardships and lacked access to basic facilities, food and medical assistance.

Mr Khan said that local office-bearers of ANP Lower Chitral and members of the Khudai Khidmatgar Organisation were extending support to the affected families on a self-help basis. However, he noted that their efforts remained insufficient due to limited resources.

Quoting local residents, he claimed that neither the provincial government nor the federal authorities had so far taken meaningful steps to address the crisis or announced a comprehensive relief package for the displaced families.

The ANP chief further said that two halls of a college in Drosh had been temporarily allocated to accommodate internally displaced persons (IDPs), where men and women were compelled to stay in the same space, calling the arrangement inappropriate. He urged the authorities to ensure separate accommodation, adequate food supply, medical facilities and security arrangements for the affected families.

With Ramazan approaching, Mr Khan appealed to the governments to rise above political considerations and announce an emergency relief package, particularly for women and children. He stressed that it was the constitutional responsibility of the state to protect the life and property of its citizens and to ensure that they were not left alone in times of crisis.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2026