Response to IDPs

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) claims of extending all possible help to the IDPs migrating from North Waziristan due to the ongoing Zarb-i-Azb operation are being challenged by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Isaaf (PTI). Numerous reports indicate that the IDPs themselves are not satisfied with the assistance they are receiving from the federal as well as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) governments as they continue to migrate in search of shelter in settled areas of the country.
Imran Khan in a press conference more than a week ago stated that KPK government estimates around 600,000 internally displaced persons (IDP) as a direct outcome of the Zarb-i-Azb operation - a number confirmed by Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd) a week later. Khan argued that the IDPs should have been evacuated and relocated prior to the launch of the operation and demanded the immediate release of 6 billion rupees to the KPK government. The danger from a military operational point of view was perhaps that relocating IDPs before the launch of the operation would have given ample warning to terrorists as well who may have seized the opportunity to escape either as IDPs or across the border into Afghanistan. Khan maintained that the money released by the federal government for the IDPs is simply not enough and urged the federal government to meet with the KPK government to discuss all the security and IDP-related issues.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on its website identifies three major groups of IDPs in Pakistan that continue to be of concern in 2014: (i) 1.6 million registered Afghan refugees at present, the largest protracted refugee situation globally; (ii) Bengalis, Biharis and people from Myanmar; and (iii) IDPs who have relocated within and outside the tribal areas due to military operations in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). At the end of July 2013, over 1 million internally displaced individuals (170,000 families) were estimated to be affected by the ongoing security operations in FATA and KPK and three camps supported by UNHCR were operating, accommodating more than 80,000 individuals. The 600,000 IDPs as a consequence of the ongoing operation are over and above these figures. In other words, the pre-Zarb-i-Azb numbers were already significant and in this context one fails to understand why Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar failed to allocate any amount to the IDPs in the budget 2014-15. Subsequently on the instructions of the Prime Minister Dar released 500 million rupees followed by another 500 million rupees - money which the Finance Ministry claims would be debited from the public sector development programme.
Pervez Rashid, Minister for Information, as per his terms of reference rebutted all Imran Khan's allegations and stated that Pervez Khattak, Chief Minister KPK, was present during an army briefing before the launch of the operation - a claim denied by the PTI. He however did indirectly acknowledge that the KPK government was not on board with respect to the relief operations for IDPs by stating that the Federal Minister for States and Frontier Region (SAFRON) Lieutenant-General Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd) was in-charge of the relief activities of IDPs and was taking all necessary steps together with the Governor, the chief secretary, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) Disaster Management Authority - positions that are directly under the federal government which, so maintained the centre's loyalists was due to the decision to establish IDP camps inside frontier regions which fall within the jurisdiction of Fata administration and are being jointly administered by FDMA (Fata Disaster Management Authority) and Pakistan army where IDPs are being provided essential facilities including shelter, cooked food and water. The Prime Minister confirmed this though he added that PDMA was also a participant in overseeing the relief process with the Pakistan Army providing one-month ration to the families in collaboration with World Food Programme.
The latest data released by the NDMA indicates that 454,207 have fled their homes so far with 36,514 families registered in Bannu, approximately 1100 families registered in D I Khan and 480 in Lakki Marwat - towns that are in KPK and not in Fata. Around 2,000 transport vehicles, so claims the government, are engaged in evacuating people from North Waziristan to safe places and IDP camps though reports indicate that the transporters are over-charging the IDPs as they continue to find their way into settled safe areas.
Government sources indicate that: (i) federal government released 1.5 billion rupees to federal DMA - an amount not reconciled with Finance Ministry sources who report a figure of one billion rupees; (ii) it is unclear how much the IDPs are actually receiving with Nawaz Sharif directing a payment of 7000 rupees per family per month, Safron minister claiming 12000 rupees per month and on another occasion 15000 rupees per month with the 5000 to 8000 rupee difference perhaps in the form of rations; and perhaps including the 3000 rupee per month per family for six months extended by the KPK government as well as a one off 5000 rupee Ramazan payment; however while on a visit to Bannu IDP camp the Prime Minister announced Rs 40,000 for Ramazan; (iii) Punjab has extended 100 million rupees of in-kind assistance; (iv) Sindh 50 million rupees of assistance again in kind and Punjab and Sindh have backed out from earlier statements that they would not accommodate the IDPs in their province; KPK assembly had regretted the decision to ban the IDPs entry and passed the following resolution: "FATA is part of Pakistan and its residents have equal right to go and live in any province of the country;" and (v) funds have been set up by the Prime Minister and the provincial chief minister KPK with an announcement by the two men that bureaucrats working under them would pay one day salary into the fund and one wonders about the legality of cutting salaries without consulting with the staff. PTI's relief efforts are through the Imran Khan's Foundation. Be that as it may private donations in camps set up by the federal and provincial governments and the army are significant with Malik Riaz equaling Punjab's donation of 500 million rupees - an amount that must shame our rich parliamentarians as well as industrialists.
It is significant that the government of Pakistan has stated that it would not be seeking foreign assistance for the IDPs and assistance released by the UAE and US governments have been reported by their respective embassies and not by the Pakistani government: (i) the UAE has donated 20.5 million dollars; and the (v) US has extended 31 million dollars enough to fortify 60 percent of the wheat donated by the government. Significantly Ishaq Dar has claimed that foreign exchange reserves are now over 14 billion dollars and his critics facetiously maintain that IDP-specific funds have also found their way into Dar's calculations of foreign exchange reserves.
What has also been reported is that the camps set up by the federal government are not favoured by the IDPs who are opting to either stay with their relatives/friends or rent accommodation as they are dissatisfied with the government established camps.
Chief Secretary KPK has directed all the deputy commissioners to constitute district level committees and gather relevant information about displaced persons residing with their relatives/friends. This data would be used for security as well as provision of relief and cash to IDPs. Director General Health Services paid a visit to district Bannu and constituted various teams to provide round the clock emergency medical care to the IDPs. Public Health Engineering Department has been directed to ensure clean drinking water facilities in the camps. Additional vehicles have been placed at the disposal of district administration Bannu to ensure quick relief to the IDPs. Apart from that Rescue-1122 has provided three state of the art ambulances along with staff to help IDPs in case of any emergency. But reports indicate that the on the ground situation is far from satisfactory and government claims have not materialised.
It is extremely unfortunate that federal and provincial governments have not come together to alleviate the lot of the IDPs and Sindh's and Punjab's decision to send rations instead of money which maybe more appropriate given the refusal of over 90 percent of IDPs to relocate in camps appears to be steeped in politics. It is time that various parties in federal and provincial governments come together in this hour of need of the IDPs and desist from politicking at their expense. And finally the money released by the federal, provincial and private individuals and foundations is sufficient to meet the needs of the IDPs; however, governance and/or delivery remains an issue.