Officials during numerous visits to these camps have reminded the IDPs of the new responsibilities they have to shoulder once they return to their homes. A jirga of elders was convened in Bannu Township to discuss the issues surrounding rehabilitation. Tribal elders Malik Habib Khan, Maulvi Gul Ramzan, Malik Wakeel Khan along with others representatives of Utmanzai tribe said that they are willing to cooperate with the government which should lay out the guidelines it wants them to follow. They added that they have suffered a lot in the cause against militancy and want tranquility to prevail at all costs.
They urged the government to reconsider the collective responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR). They said they are willing to adhere to all policies the government introduces that will ensure peace in their hometowns.
Moulvi Gul Ramzan said officials of the political administration told him all arrangements of repatriation are complete and the government only needs assurances of adherence to law and willingness to shoulder new responsibilities before rehabilitation starts. He added the tribesmen will continue to cooperate with the government as long as it keeps their religious sentiments and tribal customs in mind. “The interests of the tribal people should be guarded,” he maintained. Ramzan said they will be not be able to tolerate further restrictions on their already miserable lives.
Another elder questioned the validity of stringent crime laws when over 150,000 security forces are already present in the area.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2014.
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