In Swat, the memory of 2009’s displacement softens hearts for new arrivals from Waziristan

Families seek shelter in district without govt assistance.

MINGORA:

Around 80 families from North Waziristan have travelled to Swat, hoping to carve out temporary lives in the district as Zarb-e-Azb continues in their hometowns. Several of them expressed their gratitude over being welcomed by the people in the district who are no stranger to displacement given their 2009 experience.

“We truly understand the troubles and pains of being displaced as we have experienced a similar situation ourselves,” said Ahmad Shah, a spokesperson of a civil society network assisting the families. “We will never leave our brethren and will help them as long as they are in Swat.”



The list of displaced people in the district, compiled by civil society organisations, has been forwarded to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, said Assistant Commissioner Ashfaq Khan while distributing financial aid to some of the families on Wednesday in Makan Bagh, Mingora. The cash had been collected by a civil society network, including the Swat Rotary Club.

While the government may be struggling to provide emergency services in Swat, locals have made sure the new arrivals do not feel like outsiders. The displaced families were saying that the “Swatis are like our brothers,” appreciative of their welcoming attitudes.

Counting small blessings, Masood Khan said, “Apart from the pleasant weather, the people in Swat have also been very friendly; we are very thankful.”

Over two million of Swat’s residents had to flee the district in 2009 when a military operation code-named Rah-e-Rast aimed to dismantle the Taliban network and Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi there, the former led by Maulana Fazlullah. Fazlullah is the current Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan leader and is said to mostly operate from neighbouring Afghanistan.

Many of the North Waziristan families have said the government has been of no help with their relocation to the settled area. This relocation has been documented as a two- to three-day trek on rough terrain in debilitating heat, just to exit the warzone.

Government failure

While the residents of Swat have been more helpful, the government is still lagging behind, according to several reports. Families in Swat’s Kabal tehsil complained of complete neglect. They have been forced to fork out large sums of money to rent houses, said the internally displaced persons, who arrived there only to find charity wings of political parties such as the Jamaat-e-Islami distributing food rations in the area.

“Our children suffer from several diseases but we are not given free medicines at the government hospital here,” Rahmanuddin from Miranshah told The Express Tribune. Other displaced people from North Waziristan are being helped by the UNHCR and government; those in Swat have been completely ignored, the families complained.

“We came here two weeks ago but the government has not yet helped us,” said Safir Mohammad, also from Miranshah.

For the children, school was another routine they were forced to leave behind. Young children expressed their desire to continue studying in Swat just as they used to “back home”.

“I am fond of learning and miss my school in my village. I wish we get to attend school,” sixth grader Wajahatullah told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2014.