No homecoming: Tribespeople from Falseen not allowed to return

NWA political administration officials justify it on grounds of security

BANNU: Around 400 internally displaced persons (IDP) still have not seen their homes in Falseen, Mirali tehsil in North Waziristan. This is in spite of their repatriation from Bannu and its surrounding areas to the agency.

A number of tribespeople told The Express Tribune they frequently begged authorities to let them go back home, however, their requests have been ignored.



Shaheen Islam, from Falseen, said formal repatriation of IDPs from Baran Camp, Bannu and surrounding areas started on June 26, 2015. He and his family members were among those who were repatriated to Eidak in the first week of July 2015. However ever since then, his family members have not been allowed to return to their abandoned houses in Falseen.

“Around 400 other families are compelled to stay in scattered areas of Eidak since they are not allowed to return to Falseen,” Islam said. “They are disheartened and some of them intend to go back to Bannu or other parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.”

When contacted, political administration officials in Miranshah and Bannu confirmed these reports. They said the security situation and prevalent threats in the area had forced this delay.

“Falseen is a mountainous region and was occupied by terrorists before military action was taken,” an official told The Express Tribune. “Opportunities for militants to re-enter the area after tribespeople are repatriated are greater and we are avoiding that.”

To resolve this matter, tribal elders and political administration officials held several meetings but were unable to reach a conclusion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2016.