Daily Times

Islamabad: Hundreds of tribesmen of the North Waziristan Agency of FATA region demanded repatriation of thousands of families shifted to Afghanistan after the Pakistan Army conducted a search operation against national and international warlords in North Waziristan.

A jirga (tribal gathering) was organized in the Banu area where TDPs are living after the operation Zarb-e-Azb.

One of the tribal elder told to media that many families of the operation Zarb-e-Azb shifted to Afghanistan through Gulam Khan Border and now they are facing the impacts of the winter season but still government not serious to repatriate the effected families as the border is closed since long.

A tribal Journalist Farooq Mehsud told to daily times that according to the government record 15000 families shifted to Khost, Paktia and Paktika province of the Afghanistan through Gulam Khan border after the operation was conducted in the area to counter insurgents. Mehsud told according to Afghanistan government claim the ratio of family is 25000 living there since long.

It should be mentioned here that Pakistan army is busy in border fencing of the Durand-line between Pakistan and Afghanistan to counter the movement of insurgents from across the border and thus the border is under strict monitoring.

The Jirga head Malik Ghulam Khan wazir told to media that if government did not fulfill its promises regarding the repatriation of IDP, s and the restoration of financial assistance we will stage a protest in front of UN office in Islamabad.

One of the Jirga elder told that government officials promised them that their financial assistance will not be suspended until the resettlement of the IDPs but now government since 4 months suspended their financial assistance and the member of the National assembly from the area Mohammad Nazir is enjoying in Islamabad but don’t care about the people of the constituency.

Published in Daily Times, January 11^th 2018.