PESHAWAR: The third phase of the repatriation of internally displaced persons from South Waziristan displaced due to operation Zarb-e-Azb started on Wednesday.
A total of 373 families were returned to their native areas in Sararogha tehsil of South Waziristan on the first day of the process. The returning families were first gathered at a camp for IDPs in Kharki area in Bannu and then sent back to native areas in a convoy of the security forces.
Political Agent South Waziristan Zafar Islam Khattak and Colonel Imran of the Pakistan Army saw off the IDPs at the camp. Other officials of civil administration and armed forces were also present. The returning tribesmen expressed joy on their return to their settlements after nine years. Rahmatullah Khan Mehsud and Gul Badshah said that they were unable to express their feeling and joy in words. They thanked the government and vowed to rebuild their lives and native areas.
Zafar Islam Khattak said that the launch of the third phase of repatriation was made possible with the support and personal interest of Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif. He said families were only sent back to the areas that had been cleared of militants.
He said that 25,000 individuals would be returned to native areas in the third phase which would continue till October 15. He said facilities given to other IDPs that had been returned to native areas were being extended to the IDPs returned to South Waziristan.