KOHAT, June 13: The prolonged stay of Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons from tribal regions has created social and economic problems besides posing threat to peace of the district, locals complain.

The elders of internally displaced persons say that police ask them to submit personal guarantees that they will not indulge in terrorist activities during their stay in the district, but they have been refusing.

The locals said that prolonged stay of IDPs had resulted in increase in rents of houses, land and shops besides creating joblessness in the area.

On the other hand, IDPs, once welcomed by the locals with open heart, blame government for its failure in flushing out terrorists from their tribal agencies during the last several years.

The IDPs from Kurram and Orakzai agencies, Hangu district, Waziristan Agency, Darra Adamkhel, Malakand and Swat have been living in Kohat for the last four years. They have set up new settlements on Indus Highway by occupying or buying land from the local people.

Locals alleged that some of the IDPs joined militant groups and were creating law and order situation in the district.

“They have also converted University Road and Indus Road Bypass up to Zero Point into a no-go-area,” locals alleged.

Recently, police arrested a group of Taliban, allegedly involved in making suicide jackets and improvised explosive devices, from the area. An electricity transformer was also recovered from the house. Locals said that new seminaries and mosques were being built in the areas where IDPs lived.

Sources said that militants had also entered the district in the guise of IDPs and were posing threat to peace of the area.

In addition, there are thousands of Afghan refugees, who have permanently settled near the mountains of Darra Adamkhel and some parts of the city without any kind of restriction on their movement.

Some of the Afghan refugees have bought homes in the city and shops in the costly main bazaar. They have made huge investment in cloth, fruit and transport businesses besides establishing small factories of shoes and other outlets.

The officials concerned, when contacted, were unable to give accurate figures of IDPs living in the district. However, locals said that their number exceeded 200,000.

Owing to uncertain situation in the conflict zones, the IDPs are reluctant to go back to their homes. Same is the case with Afghans.