I AM very much disturbed on reading the demand of various groups and political parties to ban free movement of the IDPs by putting them in the camps in the NWFP. Allow me to say that it is the constitutional right of a citizen to settle and live wherever he or she wishes to do so in Pakistan.

Looking at the situation, it appears that no IDP family in its right mind would want to travel over 1,000 miles and be settled in camps under extreme weather conditions. Only those having friends and relatives in other provinces would venture far and wide to be comfortable under proper shelters and be supported by the community. As such IDP families would not be many, those who oppose their movement in Sindh and Punjab should stop raising a hue and cry.

NAZIM F. HAJI
Karachi.

(II)

THIS is apropos of your editorial, 'IDPs in Sindh' (May 24). Before launching any operation against the Taliban the government should have erected makeshift camps in bulk with best possible facilities and then mobilise the troops. But this was not done. Hence the IDPS' sufferings and hardships.

Punjab has decided not to accommodate the IDPs but promised to provide all kinds of monetary help. Although the Sindh CM has expressed his approval to allow the IDPs, coalition partner MQM and several nationalist parties have opposed setting up of IDPs camps in Sindh.

The concerns of the opponents of IDP camps cannot be set aside as well. This is all right as long as all IDPs are registered and it is ensured that they would return to their homes once the situation is normalised in their towns.

Given the past experience, there are slim chances that the IDPs will return home.

The Afghan refugees took refuge in Karachi during Afghan war in 1980s. They got their ID cards and passports and subsequently became Pakistani citizens.

The IDPs numbering 50,000 who have so far arrived in Karachi and other parts of Sindh to stay with their relatives have reportedly ruled out the possibility of return as the operation continues for indefinite period and a lot will have been lost in the war-ravaged towns. If it happens so, it will entail social, political and economic implications for the province.

However, if their entry into Sindh is inevitable, the IDPs may be stationed at Kashmor, the last district of Sindh bordering the Punjab. They may be fully facilitated there and as soon as things are settled, be returned to they homes.

Security forces have to make adequate arrangements to thoroughly inspect the IDPs and their luggage in order to make sure that no Taliban or arms move out under their guise.

ASLAM PERVAIZ ABRO
Shikarpur

(III)

THE people of Swat and those living along the Afghan border are facing an influx of terrorists from across the border. These terrorists are armed to the teeth, possess latest of weapons and have enough cash to bribe their way through and employ frustrated local youths to join their ranks. This did not happen overnight. Everybody knows the role of RAW and their collaborators within Pakistan, without whose help this could not have occurred at the scale at which it is happening.

These collaborators extend from Karachi all the way through South Punjab via the Potohar region to the Pakhtun belt. If the state wants to close their eyes to these realities, there can be no long lasting solutions. What is needed is to restore Pakistan as was envisioned by the founding fathers and not the distorted version that has been painted over the years by dictators like Ziaul Haq, Pervez Musharraf and those who for the last nine years enjoyed the fruits of illegitimate military rule.

Mere sloganeering of 'Pakistan Khappay' will not deliver. Are the IDPs children of a lesser god or dalits that they cannot go and live in any part of Pakistan, where they feel comfortable. Where is the writ of state now?

GUL ZAMAN KHAN
Mardan

(IV)

THE various drives to collect relief goods for the displaced persons is encouraging and it is sincerely hoped that those in power will ensure that irrespective of which province these people go to, they are registered and provided maximum relief.

HAFSA AHSAN
Karachi

(V)

SINDH has sympathies with the affected persons, so it needs to extend assistance to them, but it must not allow them to settle here. Already some four million Pakhtuns, majority of them Afghans, are residing in the province. However, if it is inevitable, then all the four provinces should share this burden equally.

HUMERA ALEE KAPRI
Mithi

(VI)

THIS is apropos of remarks by some of our politicians like leaders of the Tehrik-i-Insaf and the Jamat-i-Islami that the military operation in Swat was planned in a hurry under US pressure and that the government hardly waited for about two weeks after signing of the agreement.

I think the decision to launch the military operation in Swat is on time because the militants violated the agreement from the very start by entering into Buner and then kidnapping policemen and attacking paramiliatary forces, besides the statements given by Sufi Muhammad in which he opposed democracy.

If this decision had not been taken, the situation would have worsened further and millitants would rather have entered into other neighbouring districts like Mardan, Swabi, Haripur, etc.

I think this discussion is useless. My plea here is that all political forces should come together and make genuine and proactive efforts for alleviating the plight of the internally displaced persons who migrated to neighbouring districts as a result of ongoing miliatary operaton. These people are in dire need of food and non-food items.

It is time for all of us, including the general public, philanthropists, NGOs, the government and the international humanitarian agencies, to come forward for helping our brethren and contribute generously, according to our potential and ability in the shape of cash or kind.

TAHIR SHARIF
Peshawar

(VII)

THE flight of people of Swat and Malakand is, indeed, a great human catastrophe. So far, thousands of IDP families have taken shelter in various cities, towns and villages of Sindh and in Karachi, Thatta, Hyderabad, Tando Jam, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Jamshoro and Sehwan Sharif.

In every train thousands of Swatis along with Afghans and other nationals are seen coming to Sindh every day. Unlike Punjab where certain laws, rules and regulations are framed to regulate their movement and stay, there is no registration process of these IDPs in Sindh.

Many IDPs have sought refuge at their relatives' homes, in empty government buildings and rented housing, or making illegal mud-huts around Karachi and other cities of the province.

The government must accommodate these people somewhere for the foreseeable future. The issue of IDPs must be handled with care or it may give birth to another Swat and Malakand like situation in Sindh.

HASHIM ABRO
Islamabad