Turi tribespeople to return home after 31 years

Formal repatriation slated for September, forum to oversee rehabilitation


Our Correspondent August 28, 2015
Formal repatriation slated for September, forum to oversee rehabilitation. PHOTO: AFP

PARACHINAR:


The year was 1984. In the past, Kurram Agency had never seen sectarian violence of this scale. Hordes after hordes fled Sadda with hope of finding peace elsewhere. The widespread clashes did end in three years. However, the tension never really cooled off. The emerging wave of militancy fuelled violence further.


It has been 31 long years. The Turi tribespeople, who are  predominantly Shias, never returned to check up on their hometown once. They instead chose to settle in Parachinar, the Shia dominated town of the agency, where the children and their future might just be safe. As the militants’ scope of influence expanded, several headed to Peshawar and other areas of the country.

With security and paramilitary forces almost through with operations against anti-state elements, the Turis’ are high in hopes of returning home one day. Their elders met officials of the political administration on Friday and chalked out a repatriation schedule from upper Kurram to Sadda. The jirga was attended by Kurram Agency Political Agent Amjad Ali Khan, Assistant Political Agents Fazal Qadar and Shahid Ali Khan. The elders discussed prospects of returning home and the state of their houses, shops and other businesses at length with the government officials. They informed the political agents about the various problems faced by their fellow displaced tribespeople. It was decided that formal repatriation will begin from September 1 and will comprise two phases.

Talking on the occasion, the government officials assured that local committees of traders and shopkeepers will not interfere with the business activities of the Shias. The two sides also agreed on constituting a forum for monitoring the repatriation and rehabilitation process.

Rebuilding

Back home in Sadda, the Turis will be provided temporary accommodation within the Assistant Political Agency Colony. During their stay, the tribespeople will be assisted in regaining occupation of their abandoned, occupied or destroyed property in both commercial and residential areas. They will also be allowed to start construction and renovation in all areas except the collectively-owned shamilat land.

In recognition

Meanwhile, Frontier Corps IG Maj General Mohammad Tayyab Azam also held talks with Turi elders in Alizai. Addressing the attendees of the meeting, Azam reaffirmed the state’s stance of uprooting extremism from the region and said the vision cannot be materialised in the absence of the support of the tribespeople. He lauded the sacrifices of security officials Hamid Hussain and Siraj Hussain who foiled a suicide attack at an Alizai playground a few months back. He distributed cheques worth Rs0.5 million each to the families of the soldiers.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2015. 

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