The internally dislocated people (IDPs), who fled from North Waziristan Agency in wake of the going military operation 'Zarb-e-Azb', refused to vacate government schools, unless the government made alternative arrangements for them, and warned government for holding long march to Islamabad against the forceful eviction.
The government asked the internally uprooted families, belonging to the troubled Waziristan Agency, to vacate government schools under a set deadline of August 31, which has been expired today (Sunday). An official said the decision was taken in wake of resumption of education activities after three-month long summer vacations and to save precious time of students.
More than 907 schools in district Bannu have been converted into temporary shelter facility for IDPs. So far, the internally displaced families had been vacated 200 schools voluntarily, according to official sources. However, the officials said they (IDPs) refused to vacate the remaining 700 government schools till repatriation to their hometowns or provision of alternate accommodation facility. Approximately, one million tribesmen have been displaced due to the ongoing military action in North Waziristan Agency, and took temporary shelter in Bannu, D.I.Khan and elsewhere in the province.
The district administration of Bannu warned that the IDPs receiving handsome amount in head of house rent and if they did not vacated the schools, their house rent would confiscated. The official said that valuable time of the students goes waste if these schools were not timely vacated.
The district administration has announced opening of government schools after summer vacations by September 01. A military operation was launched to flush out militants from Pak-Afghan border in North Waziristan agency. The security forces remained successful in clearing 85 percent areas of militants' captivity however so far not a single family reached to their home in Miramshah and Mir Ali area of North Waziristan Agency.
The government had made a commitment that the IDPs will remain stay at schools till repatriation to their hometown, says Shaukatullah, a tribal elder and member of IDPs family, told this scribe via telephone from Bannu. He asked the government to make alternative accommodation facility before explosion from the government schools. Despite clearing mostly areas of North Waziristan Agency by security forces, the tribal elder said the government has yet not taken steps to carryout peaceful repatriation, he lamented.
Ziaullah Dawar a member of IDPs family expressed voice concern over poor facilities and arrangements to them. He said if the government is much worried about students, why it should not think about a large number of students, displaced in result of military operation in NWA, he asked. He said the internally uprooted families only vacate these government schools, on condition to provide them alternate accommodation facility.
Khair Kalam Wazir said the government has claimed to clear 85 per cent areas of militants' captivity in North Waziristan Agency, but so far no step has been taken for their peaceful repatriation. He warned to march toward Islamabad if they were not provided alternate facilities after their expulsion from government school.