Zarb-e-Azb: Two IDPs killed over personal dispute at ration point in Bannu

Slow registration process at ration depot irks displaced families .

BANNU:

Two internally displaced persons (IDP) from North Waziristan were killed in Bannu on Friday when their rival opened fire as the two men queued at a ration depot. While this was a personal dispute, the week has seen at least two other fights and several arrests.

According to Mandan SHO Saadullah Khan, IDPs Shah Alam and Sher Kiyaz Khan were standing in line outside Government High School for Boys to collect food at 12:30pm when a man approached them and opened fire.

The two tribesmen sustained severe injuries and were rushed to District Headquarters Hospital, however, they succumbed to their injuries en route.

Locals managed to capture the shooter and handed him over to the police, added Saadullah.

According to the official, the accused admitted to shooting Shah Alam and Sher Kiyaz Khan. The accused stated the victims had killed his family members earlier.

Police filed a case and launched an investigation.

On July 3, three IDPs were injured when policemen and security officials baton-charged a crowd at a ration point set up in Commerce College, Bannu. People tried to queue jump and enter the depot in large numbers when authorities attempted to quell the crowd, injuring IDPs.

In a similar incident on June 30, a police officer and two IDPs were injured at Ziyad Akram Khan Durrani Sports Complex, the main ration depot just outside Bannu.

As crowds waited in lines in the heat to receive food, tempers flared and a few people started pushing others standing in queues. As the police stepped in, constable Attaullah was hit on the head with a brick, allegedly by an IDP who then fled.

IDPs protest slow pace of registration

Irked by the snail’s pace at which the registration process and distribution of rations took place, those displaced from the war-torn agency protested against the district government on Friday.

SHO Saadullah said IDPs standing in line outside Government High School No-IV started a protest against registration officials, who had not shown up to their posts till 11am.

Saadullah explained hundreds had been waiting in line since 6am, however, the officials failed to make an appearance, enraging IDPs who had been standing for hours.

“They were upset because they were fasting and had been standing under the scorching sun for several hours. They started chanting slogans against the officials and pelted their office with stones,” said Saadullah.

On-duty policemen were called in for “crowd control”. He added the angry protesters could not be placated at which point the district government ordered the registration officials to immediately report to their station at the depot.

According to Saadullah, the IDPs tried to mob members of the registration staff when they finally arrived. However, police managed to avert a brawl.

“We got the people to end the protest and to return to the queue. The registration then began at 11:30am,” said Saadullah.

The SHO added one of the IDPs’ demands is that the district government speed up the registration process so they are given ration supplies on time and are not forced to stand in line for hours.

“There are now 11 ration points established across Bannu but, in order to properly cater to the needs of millions of IDPs in the district, more of such points are needed.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2014.