Some families still stranded in the more troubled areas of the agency. PHOTO: FILE
A large number of internally displaced persons (IDP) from North Waziristan are making their way towards Bannu district, finding daily life in the troubled agency nearly impossible to continue with.
A district administration official wishing anonymity told The Express Tribune the majority of families in North Waziristan Agency are heading to Bannu.
The rate at which IDPs are entering the district has gone up, he shared, given frequent bombings on militant hideouts in the agency.
While tribesmen are making their way from the war-torn area, there are some families stranded in the more troubled areas of the agency; they cannot afford to pay for transport for themselves and their luggage.
Yet other families seeking safer grounds are being forced to sell their cattle and other belongings at throwaway prices in order to expedite the process of migration, shared the Bannu district administration official.
He added 14,435 people had been transported in 796 vehicles to other parts of the province via routes passing through Bannu.
“The total figure [as yet] includes 3,203 males, 6,390 women and 4,842 children,” he revealed. The official said uprooted families were renting houses but complained the government was not assisting them in their bid to seek shelter far from North Waziristan. Many impoverished families opted to settle with their relatives and friends located in safer areas of the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2014.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ