PESHAWAR, Sept 10: Expressing concern over the displacement of thousands of people from different villages of Salarzai valley of Bajaur Agency, Jamaat-i-Islami, Fata chapter, amir Haroon-ur-Rahseed has demanded of the government to provide food and shelter to the affected people.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday the former MNA said due to a militant attack from Afghanistan on August 24, 2012 many innocent people had been killed and wounded and at least 60,000 had been displaced, but the government was yet to facilitate them.

“The people fought well against the attackers, suffered casualties and later vacated their houses, leaving behind their properties and took shelter in safer places without any support of the government,” he said.

Flanked by JI Bajaur Agency amir Waheed Gul and Fata general secretary Dr Munsif Khan, the former JI MNA said the people of Bajuar had already suffered at lot due to military operations and the recent attack from Afghanistan side had made their lives extremely miserable.

“The people have fought a war of the country and repulsed the attackers but the government did not give them any kind of support,” he lamented. He said now the people were also not allowed to return to their villages despite the tall claims of the government that the area had been cleared of the attackers.

He asked the government to provide special relief package for tribal people affected by cross border shelling.

The JI leader claimed military operations and drone attacks had killed at least 40,000 people, injured about 50,000 and dislocated about 2.5 million so far from different tribal regions.

Mr Haroon demanded of the government to make arrangements for shifting of the affected families to their hometowns after the announcement by political administration that the area had been cleared. The JI leader also demanded an immediate end to the ongoing military operations and drone attacks in tribal regions.