Tribal elders from North Waziristan Agency demanded the government to give timeframe for winding up the ongoing military operation, and ensuring repatriation of internally uprooted families, in cleared areas by security forces in the conflict-hit tribal agency.
Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, the North Waziristan Qaumi Mutaserein Committee President Nisar Ali said that the decision was taken in haste regarding launching of military action in North Waziristan Agency on June 15, due to which tribal people were not given prior intimation to shift their businesses, and protect their houses, and other essential materials.
Flanked by Malik Ghulam, and Nazar Din Wazir, along with elders from various tribes of North Waziristan Agency, he viewed that thousands of conflict hit tribal people had been confronted with numerous difficulties owing to absence of adequate facilities at their makeshift camps. He demanded the shifting of displaced families to alternative locations before meeting the deadline for eviction from government schools buildings by end of this month and called for provision of proper relief assistance and financial Aid. The IDPs have warned that if the demands were not fulfilled forthwith, they would compel to hold long march to Islamabad and would stage sit-ins outside foreign mission offices.
Tribesmen are rendered enormous sacrifices for protection of borders without any incentives, Malik Ghulam, a tribal elder said. Despite the fact, he said they are not given due rights and government instead of taking steps for mitigating sufferings of the tribesmen, is further multiplying their miseries by launching military operation in NWA. As per United Nations rules, the Internally Dislocated people of North Waziristan Agency, should be resettled, he demanded.
Nazar Din Wazir, another elder said tribesmen affected by the ongoing militarily assault in NWA, have been compelled to stay in different parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and rest part of the country. A number of IDPs took shelter in government schools building due to lack of accommodation facility, but the government has issued notice to vacate schools by August 31, Wazir said. He asked the authorities to provide alternate locations for staying of IDPs before the expiry of the deadline.
Nisar Ali informed that administration had blocked more than 52,000 internally displaced families, out of the total uprooted 93,000 families from North Waziristan Agency, due to which a large number of IDPs were deprived from the financial Aid. Particularly, he added the widows were the worst affected from the decision, and urged the government to announce special package for widows. He also alleged the massive corruption in distribution of food and non-food items, assisted by government, non-government organisations and donor agencies. He said mismanagement at distribution points, was deprived many displaced families from relief package and financial Aid.
The committee head also raised the issue of security for internally displaced persons of North Waziristan, as clashes between IDPs and local community was occurred, in which left a person was killed, and left two other injured. He also highlighted the difficulties and miseries of internally displaced persons belonging to Non-Muslim communities, including Sikhs, and Hindu. He attributed the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) 'sit-ins' have been diverted the government attention toward the issues of NWA IDPs, and urged the PTI and PAT to call off their protest that would beneficial for internally uprooted people.
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