Waziristan operation: 700 IDPs find sanctuary in Punjab

No govt aid for the displaced in Layyah, Minawali, Bhakkar, Sargodha so far.


Asad Kharal June 27, 2014

LAHORE:


Over 700 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from North Waziristan have reached Layyah, Minawali, Bhakkar and Sargodha districts of the Punjab. These people are yet to receive official help, even though the Punjab government is distributing aid to IDPs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.


According to data available to The Express Tribune, the families are living with relatives or in rented homes. Residents in these districts are also helping the displaced persons. However, the local administration has not provided any assistance to the IDPs yet.

According to the data, 305 IDPs have arrived in Sargodha, 260 in Bhakkar, 137 in Mianwali and 13 in Layyah.



The IDPs belong to villages Wazi Khel in Dosli; Norang, Nahar Qila, Dawar and Darpa Khel Khuwal in Mir Ali; Ali Khel, Bora Khel, Dapa Khel, Hamzoni, Danday Dapra Khel, Kutab Khel and Ahmed Khel in Miranshah; and Kafi Rogha Manzar, Muhammad Khel, Qila Sher Kot and Dawar Reegan in Boya.

Some of the IDPs that have arrived in these districts are also from South Waziristan Agency’s areas that border North Waziristan.

Around 26 of them are from Shewa village in South Waziristan. The local administration has not established any center for providing them relief items.

Many of the displaced people have been given food and lodging by hotel and fuel station owners in the area. Many IDPs have rented houses in the area. It is expected that more displaced persons might look for sanctuary in the Punjab in the coming days if the North Waziristan military operation against the militants continues for long.

Assistance from Punjab

Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yasin distributed food and other items among IDPs in Bannu on Wednesday. Relief items worth Rs100 million were given to the displaced persons at the Bannu Sports Complex.

Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif had directed Yasin to travel to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The items included 6,000 20-kilogramme flour bags, 6,000 20kg rice bags and 2,000 tents.

Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director Muhammad Sajjad, the Bannu commissioner and Pakistan Army officers were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Yasin said the Punjab government had set up a Rs500 million fund for helping the IDPs.

The provincial minister said that the people and government of the Punjab stood by the IDPs in this difficult time.

“The Punjab government is extending every possible help to the IDPs,” he said.

The minister said Punjab Assembly members had donated their entire month’s salaries to help the internally displaced persons.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2014.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ