The federal government has decided not to obtain donations from any foreign donor agency or country for facilitating the internally displaced persons (IDPs) of the North Waziristan Operation and has decided to use its own resources to help them.
Around five million tribesmen have been evacuated recently from NWA following the launch of military operation, Zarb-e-Azb.
Chairing a meeting at the PM House on Wednesday regarding the IDPs’ situation, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that the government stands with IDPs in these hard times and they will be fully facilitated.
Minister of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch and director general military operations (DGMO) briefed the PM about the present situation of the IDPs.
Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, DGMO and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) DG also attended the meeting.
The PM was informed during the meeting that most of the IDPs are women and children who are being taken care of in the best possible manner by the armed forces and the federal and provincial government departments.
The PM was informed that a the IDPs still need medicines, clothes and other necessities of life as summer is making life difficult for the IDPs who are not accustomed to the hot weather.
FOREIGN SUPPORT OFFERS FOR IDPs:
Talking to Pakistan Today, British High Commissioner Philip Barton said that the British government and people would love to provide funds for the IDPs who have been made homeless due to the NWA operation and that the Britons might provide assistance to Pakistan under United Nations banner.
Well-placed sources have informed Pakistan Today that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia have also offered assistance to Pakistan for helping the IDPs.
The sources added that the government has expressed gratitude to all the donor agencies and friendly countries, including the United Nations (UN) who have shown interest in providing funding for the IDPs, but has refused their offers.
A source in the federal government said, “Since the IDPs are our own nationals, it is beneath our dignity to accept foreign funding for them. The PM has already announced Rs500 million for the IDPs. A Rs 500 million grant has also been announced by Bahria Foundation. The Pakistan army has also expressed a decided to allocate its one-month rations for the IDPs.”
ASSISTANCE SOUGHT FOR AFGHAN REFUGEES:
“We will be more than happy if the donors provide funds for repatriation and rehabilitation of Afghan refugees who want to go back to their own country since a peaceful election have been held in Afghanistan recently,” the source said.
Currently, 1.6 million Afghan refugees are registered with Pakistani authorities while another two million are living here illegally and pose a burden on the country’s dwindling economy.
Since long, international donors and funding agencies have failed to keep their promises to provide assistance to Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Quoting top government functionaries during the meeting, a government official said, “All we want is that the UN, donor agencies and states take care of the Afghan refugees so that they can be repatriated. We will take care of our own people.”
The federal government is making all sorts of belated announcements regarding IDPs. Fact remains no arrangements were made or even discussed for their settlements. Someone must take responsibility for this failure and fiasco
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