KOHAT, March 27: The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Khyber and Orakzai agencies here has reached 160,000 while most of them are deprived of relief assistance, sources said.

An official of social welfare department, Zahid, told Dawn on telephone that there were some food distribution points on Bannu road in Kohat, but food was insufficient for the growing number of IDPs.

“The IDPs are still coming to Kohat in large numbers and this could be judged from the fact that over 18 dozens checkposts have been established astride the border between tribal areas and Kohat to monitor their movement. The government has not directed the department to register fresh IDPs and arrange their camps, food etc here,” he said.

Like Afghan refugees the tribesmen can move freely and are free to buy land and property in Kohat, which has resulted in almost tenfold increase in price of property, he said.

He said that many areas were still in the hands of militants in Orakzai Agency which was barring the return of IDPs. He said that many IDPs had settled permanently in different areas of Kohat, especially along the Indus Highway close to the city, and buying shops, houses, vehicles and agriculture land, which they should not under the law devised for them.

Kohat Tajir Action Committee president Abid Khan told this correspondent that the tribesmen were buying land and houses in the city, but people of Kohat and other settled areas were still not allowed to buy land in tribal areas, which were exempted from taxes.

He demanded that the government should review the law and allow people from the settled areas to buy land in tribal areas where there were no taxes and electricity was available for houses and factories at fixed price of Rs70 a month.

Another official of social welfare department told Dawn on condition of anonymity that earlier about 100,000 affected families had migrated from Orakzai Agency alone to Kohat. Similarly, 580 families came here from Kurram Agency four years ago and they were not ready to return before construction of their houses by the government and provision of money for running their small businesses.

Now more tribesmen are arriving in Kohat from Khyber Agency while fleeing conflict between militant groups, and the military operation.

Sources said that the WFP had already made it clear that only those families would get food and compensation which would return to their respective areas while food distribution in Kohat was almost suspended.

An army official serving in Orakzai Agency said that most of the area had been cleared from militants. The operation against militants had started in the agency in 2010 and people were asked to leave the area to minimise collateral damage.

The political administration said that they had been asking the tribesmen to return and get food and other facilities in Orakzai Agency, but they were hesitant and did not believe the government claim.