Repatriation: Tribesmen slowly return to ‘Taliban-free’ FR Peshawar

Elders say hustle and bustle returns to border of provincial capital.


Riaz Ahmad March 06, 2015
A Hassan Khel tribal elder told The Express Tribune militants had disappeared altogether following an operation in December last year. He said even the Taliban hiding in the mountainous regions had gone. PHOTO: AFP

PESHAWAR: Tribal elders who fled to escape Taliban control over FR Peshawar are slowly but surely returning to their ancestral villages from Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and other cities.

A Hassan Khel tribal elder told The Express Tribune militants had disappeared altogether following an operation in December last year. He said even the Taliban hiding in the mountainous regions had gone.

“People are now content and celebrating the successful military operations in Fata,” said the elder. “The Taliban used to demand extortion from locals and even victimise those believed to be cooperating with the government.” He added the militant activity forced wealthy tribal elders to flee to Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar for the sake of their families.

Another tribal elder said around 90% of the wealthy Maliks fled the area, while the remainder was unable to leave for one reason or another. However, normalcy is steadily returning, he said.

Fearing the Taliban, owners of private girls schools shut down their institutes. At the same time, government girls schools witnessed a sharp decline in attendance.

“Now the hustle and bustle has returned to this part of the country. The most significant development is the resumption of tribal jirgas,” he said. The elder added jigras were being formed over the last five years to settle extortion amounts demanded by the Taliban, but now these bodies are playing their traditional role of solving disputes.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2015.

 

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Karachiite | 9 years ago | Reply Pakistan Zindabad! Death to all Taliban!
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