Protesting IDPs warn of sit-in outside Parliament House

At a separate jirga, complain of unending power outages in host community

BANNU: A confrontation between the police and people displaced from North Waziristan Agency (NWA) erupted yet again on Thursday as the two sides clashed on Bannu-DI Khan Road.

Various participants of a protest marched through different routes and ultimately converged at a single point on Bannu-DI Khan road, turning the demonstration into a massive rally and suspending the flow of traffic. Many of the protesters said the government was ignoring them despite their sacrifices of life and property for the sake of national security.

A number of demonstrators echoed the military’s claims that a majority of the areas in the agency had been cleared of militants. However, they said, there was still no word on their repatriation.

The displaced people demanded they be allowed to return to their native areas immediately, warning they would otherwise stage a sit-in outside Parliament House.

A brawl broke out between the police and protesters with the law enforcers resorting to aerial firing to disperse the crowd.

Powerless

Internally displaced persons (IDP) also protested against prolonged power outages in Bannu Township. A protest jirga was held with Malik Jan Faraz in the chair and other tribal elders were also present.

Addressing the jirga, Faraz said thousands of tribesmen had been uprooted and had little choice but to live in Bannu Township. However, there was no end to the hours of power outages, which made their lives more miserable.

Another speaker Malik Akbar Khan said they repeatedly met Wapda officials about the issue, but heard nothing but useless excuses.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2014.