Insufficient relief efforts: K-P govt has failed to provide for IDPs says QWP

Lack of distribution points causing miseries for displaced people, claims Sikandar Sherpao.

PESHAWAR: Provincial chief and parliamentary leader of Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao, on Friday said the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has failed to register and provide for people displaced from North Waziristan due to the ongoing military operation.

“People of North Waziristan have rendered sacrifices for the sake of the country’s sovereignty,” Sherpao said during a news conference at Peshawar Press Club.

He said more than 800,000 people from the area have been forced to leave their homes and seek temporary shelter at various relief camps. Khan added that these people suffered tremendous difficulty in receiving food due to lack of registration centres and distribution points.

Speaking about registration problems due to supposed hurdles created by the K-P government, the QWP leader highlighted that the displaced people have to wait for up to two days to get registered, while distribution is hampered by lack of essential items. Khan also underlined the absence of health facilities for occupants of relief camps.

He urged the PTI-led provincial government to help the displaced people without any discrimination instead of politicizing the issue.

In addition, Sherpao appealed to the federal government to ensure reduced load-shedding at IDP camps, adding that the centre was equally responsible for providing relief to these men, women and children.

He pointed out that despite producing more electricity than other provinces, K-P suffered the most load-shedding.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2014.