Over 1,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have reached various districts of Punjab from North Waziristan Agency (NWA) as the military operation against the militants there continued.
According to data available with The Express Tribune, over 1,500 displaced persons (92 families) form North Waziristan had reached 11 districts of the Punjab by Friday. Two displaced families, comprising 14 IDPs, had made their way to Sheikhupura; 90 (six families) had reached Attock; 28 IDPs (three families) had reached Rawalpindi and 21 IDPs from a single family had reached Jhelum.
According to the data, 470 IDPs (21 families) had reached Chakwal, 101 (eight families) had reached Sargodha, 175 IDPs (13 families) had arrived in Khushab and five displaced persons from one family had reached Faisalabad.
As many as 185 IDPs (13 families) had reached Mianwali; 142 (five families) had reached Bhakkar; 37 (two families) had reached Muzaffargarh; 253 (16 families) had reached Layyah and seven displaced persons from the same family had reached Multan. According to official sources, all the IDPs had entered the Punjab through Mianwali. The displaced persons were mainly staying with relatives or in rented homes. Also on Friday, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) called for more efficient arrangements for looking after the IDPs. In a statement, the commission said more cooperation between the government and civil society was needed to help the displaced.
“HRCP welcomes Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s decision to visit the Bannu IDP camp and hopes the instructions issued by him will reduce the hardships facing these people,” HRCP said. The commission expressed serious concern at the reports that the IDPs were not satisfied with the assistance they had received from the government.
“A large number of IDPs have been obliged to look for private accommodation in Bannu and other cities,” HRCP said. It said problems facing people in government-run camps must be removed expeditiously.
“Past experience shows that women and children are more vulnerable. They must be treated with special care,” HRCP said.
The commission also urged the government to administer the polio vaccine to all IDPs. “They need to create an inspection team to monitor the campaign,” it said.
The statement also called upon the government to address complaints that the media and civil society organisations were being denied access to the camps. “These restrictions are totally unacceptable. Instead of preventing the civil society and media, the authorities should create a workable mechanism for the best interests of the affected people,” HRCP concluded.
The Pakistan Peoples Party on Friday urged the people to support the displaced population. In a statement, PPP Punjab Deputy General Secretary Mian Ayub said the nation must stand by the IDPs and the Pakistan Army in the efforts to root out terrorism from North Waziristan and bring peace there.
He said the party would make all sacrifices to protect democracy in the country. “We have made a lot of sacrifices for the restoration of democracy and democratic institutions and now we will not let any conspiracy succeed,” Ayub said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2014.
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