Families sit in the back of a vehicle as they flee a military offensive against the Pakistani Taliban and enter Bannu January 21, 2014. REUTERS/Zahid Mohammad
PESHAWAR: Thousands of tribesmen who had fled Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan Agency to seek shelter in neighbouring Afghanistan have started returning home.
Political Agent Kamran Afridi told a media briefing that the political administration has finalised a mechanism for repatriation of the temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) during a meeting with Afghan officials at zero-point last week.
“A total of 374 individuals from 82 families arrived in North Waziristan’s Ghulam Khan border Monday morning,” Afirdi said, adding that 125 families have already arrived in a shelter camp set up by the authorities.
He said the repatriation of TDPs would be completed in two phases. “In the first phase, which will continue until January 26, as many as 2,000 families will return through Ghulam Khan check post,” he added. Two hundred families would enter Pakistan through Ghulam Khan check post daily and will be facilitated by the political administration and security officials, according to him.
On the first day [Monday], 200 families belonging to Pai Khel and Muhammad Khel villages had returned while on Tuesday [today] 200 families of Chitoon, Dagan, Boya and Land Saidabad villages will return to their homeland.
“After documentations, all the families will be housed at Baka Khel camp in Bannu,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 17th, 2017.
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