Someone will have to take responsibility
Disturbing reports about IDPs in Bannu clashing with the police and threatening a protest sit-in outside parliament are cause for concern and should be looked into immediately. It is clear that they have been let down, more often than not, ever since they left their homes so Zarb-e-Azb could finally bring peace to the entire country. Yet their sacrifices have not been appreciated, at least not enough, by the rest of the country, especially those in charge of sheltering and rehabilitating them. First, there was no thought out contingency plan to deal with the refugees. Then, when their numbers surprised authorities, accommodating them became even more of a problem. And then there were problems with shelter, food provision, protection from extreme heat, etc. And now they complain of customs officials seeking bribes, of police brutality whenever they protest, of no provision of graveyards for their dead, and most of all of being kept in the dark about their return.
It must be appreciated that these IDPs have suffered excruciating physical, financial and emotional/psychological trauma. Long before they had to march down the mountains to make way for the NW operation, they suffered at the hands of the Taliban. The shari’a enforced by TTP commanders reduced life to utter misery for the common folk that did not pitch in its lot with the militants. Drone attacks, Taliban revenge attacks, and military operations, too, played no small part in making their lives among the most uncomfortable in the country. And now that they face another type of ordeal – the discomfort of displacement, etc – it is the state’s duty to ensure their problems are not unduly compounded.
The military must also make things a little clearer. We have heard much good news about the operation, which is appreciated. But there has not been a single independent verification of the progress. For a good couple of weeks, the DGPR actually went silent on the operation, with little information filtering through. It was stressed all along, though, that much of NW has been cleared. If that is indeed the case, the IDPs are right in asking when exactly they will be allowed to return to their homes and resume their lives. Even if the present situation warrants keeping civilians away a little longer, some form of time frame should be communicated to the refugees. But at any cost, it must be ensured that IDP’s ordeal is with as few unnecessary hindrances as possible.