Civil and military authorities should keep a close watch on those who are coming forward to be registered as IDPs.
ISLAMABAD: This letter is with reference to the growing number of people migrating from North Waziristan Agency (NWA) in the aftermath of the operation launched last month. News reports suggest that the number of people registered has crossed one million.
When the last national census was held in 1998, the population of NWA was reported to be around 400,000. Now assuming that the population doubled in the last 15 years, it still shouldn’t be more than 800,000. There is minimal chance of people from other areas moving to North Waziristan in the last 20 years, owing to the adverse security situation prevailing in the agency.
The number of people coming in as IDPs could be from other areas too, for it gives them a chance to gain access to the aid being distributed. If this prevails, then the challenges faced by the government will be exacerbated. It will put immense pressure on the resources being allocated for managing the IDPs and providing them food and shelter.
Thus, civil and military authorities should keep a close watch on those who are coming forward to be registered as IDPs. There is always a possibility that Afghan nationals or even militants from adjoining areas might be arriving and getting themselves registered as IDPs in order to save their skin.
Muhammad Faisal
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2014.
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