Orakzai IDPs: As patience runs out, tribesmen demand immediate repatriation

Say families were promised they would be sent home in April.

HANGU:

Fifteen internally displaced tribes from upper Orakzai Agency held a Grand Jirga on Thursday and demanded that the government chalk out a deadline for their repatriation.

More than 500 elders from the subdivision gathered at the political administration headquarters in Hangu. Led by former MNA Malik Gul, participants claimed Orakzai Agency Political Agent Mehmood Aslam Wazir in a meeting held in April had promised 567 Chapri and Ferozkhel families from southern parts of the agency would be repatriate to their homes on July 2.

They further claimed on July 1 Aslam handed them over the return lists of 567 families and sent 130 trucks along with 55 passenger vans to the camp. The families were directed to pack up their tents, gather their household items and board the trucks. However, the following morning Orakzai Political Tehsildar Khaista told the IDPs they could not be sent home. Akbar cited the law and order condition as the main reason and asked the displaced families to wait till after Ramazan, following which they would be returned to their native lands.

“The military operation in our areas has been going on for over four and a half years,” said Malik Gul, while addressing the jirga. “The militants still have not been cleared and we cannot wait any longer.” Gul added around 120,000 tribesmen were living as IDPs in Khwaja Muhammad and Togh Sari camps, while many others had been accommodated in Hangu, Kohat and surrounding areas.

“The government has allotted Rs420 million for our repatriation. This is a small sum considering there are reports of the entire infrastructure being destroyed,” said Gul, adding the government had to help people resettle.

Malik Mehboob, another elder, said the political agent had told the IDPs to form a committee that dealt with the matter. “After this we chose 25 tribal elders from the upper parts and formed a committee,” he said. “We have done what was asked of us, but the corrupt political administration is not allowing us to return home.”

“The money they take in our name will dry up if they send us home,” said Mehboob, while lashing out at the political administration.

Malik also claimed Rs0.1 million, which is given to family members of those killed in militancy-related incidents, had not been released. “The officials are asking us to pay Rs15,000 to release the funds.”

Malik threatened the tribes would block main routes to Hangu and launch a long march if the issue of repatriation was not resolved soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2013.