LANDI KOTAL: The administration of Khyber tribal district in collaboration with the Temporarily Displaced Persons’ Secretariat distributed Rs28.08 million compensation cheques to the terrorism-affected families of Tirah and Bara at the Levies Centre in Shah Kas area here on Thursday.

Deputy commissioner Mehmud Aslam Wazir, Colonel Ishtiaq Afridi of the TDPs’ Secretariat and MNA Iqbal Afridi distributed cheques to 1,179 families from Akkakhel, Sturikhel, Malakdinkhel, Kamarkhel, Bar Qambarkhel, Zakhakhel and Shalobar tribes.

According to the TDPs’ Secretariat, a survey found 381 houses in the region to be destroyed and 798 to be partially damaged.

Many still await compensation

A cheque of Rs400,000 was given away to the owner of a destroyed house and that of Rs160,000 to the damaged house’s. Officials said compensation had been paid to 8,269 families since the completion of house surveys in Bara and Tirah.

However, hundreds of families from Sipah and Bar Qambarkhel tribes have yet to receive compensation cheques despite having tokens issued by the relevant authorities in 2015 and 2017.

Hanif Khan, a Bar Qambarkhel resident of Tirah valley, told Dawn that around 45 families each from Narhaw, Nazarikhel, Khujalkhel, Bhutan Shareef, Tarkikhel, Qayyumkhel and Yar Gulkhel in Lar Bagh of the valley awaited a call from the local administration for the receipt of cheques as they had already been issued tokens after the completion of house survey.

He said local officials had frequently travelled between Tirah and Peshawar for receiving cheques since 2015 but to no avail.

Turab Ali, a Sipah tribesman from Bara, said hundreds of Sipah families from Speen Qabar, Gandaw, Jhansi, Gharreeza, Yousaf Talab, Madai Kas and Alamgudar area of Bara plains had also awaited compensation since their return after clearance by security forces.

He said over 5,000 Sipah families from Nari Baba, Nargosa, Sanda Paal, Sandana and Speen Drand areas had refused to go back due to the destruction of their houses and unavailability of means of living.

Meanwhile, three bikers of the Bara K2 King Tourism Association reached Bara area of Tirah valley from Lahore on Thursday as part of their peace mission.

Led by Ali Tahir, the bikers, who covered the distance in seven hours, got a warm welcome from local officials, traders and youths.

Mr Tahir said the bikers acknowledged the sufferings of the residents of Bara and the sacrifices rendered by them for the restoration of peace and therefore, they decided to travel to Tirah valley from Lahore via the Mastak Road.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2019