Federally Administrative Tribal Areas Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) has directed tribesmen from four different tribal agencies to approach the concerned offices for deregistration as Temporary Displaced persons (TDPs) by April 15, 2017.
According to press advertisements on Tuesday, the FDMA informed that repatriation to Khyber, Aurakzai, North and South Waziristan Agencies has been completed, but a large number of tribesmen from these four tribal agencies, where the repatriation process completed have not yet approached the concerned office for return of TDP registration.In this connection, the FDMA directed all these TDPs to approach the concerned officers in respective agencies for the return of TDP Registration forms/cards. They were also directed to receive the repatriation package i.e. RS 35,0000, including RS 10,000 as transportation charges per family.
In this connection, the FDMA directed all these TDPs to approach the concerned officers in respective agencies for the return of TDP Registration forms/cards. They were also directed to receive the repatriation package i.e. Rs 35,0000, including Rs 10,000 as transportation charges per family.
The government has already declared April 30 as the last day for the repatriation of displaced tribesmen to their native towns.
However, authorities concerned were already facing hardships in the complete repatriation of these displaced tribesmen throughout the region.
Political Agent of South Waziristan said that from 80 to 85 per cent displaced people have been deregistered as TDPs but a majority of them have not returned yet; same is the case with Aurakzai, Kurram, and Khyber agencies. Thousands of tribesmen displaced from Bajaur and Mohmand Agencies are still scattered in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Both officials and tribal elders have cited accommodation as a major reason for the delay of repatriation process. Thousands of houses have been razed to the ground during military action and terrorist acts. Similarly, a reasonable number of tribal families, who either own properties and established business or is on rent, are reluctant to go back. Beside others, thousands of families have lost elders, mostly their sardars, in terrorist acts and target killing; and members of these families still fear death threats. Unless complete return of peace, writ of law and order and surrender of administration to civil authorities is established, it would be hard for people to return.
Meanwhile, repatriation of tribesmen belonging to North Waziristan from Khost province of Afghanistan is not yet resumed. The repatriation was stopped after the closure of Pak-Afghan borders on February 16th. The repatriation of tribesmen from Khost already remained too slow due to restrictions on the part of government functionaries and thorough interrogation of all tribesmen who slipped into border Khost province of Afghanistan after the start of Zarb-i-Azb on June 15, 2014.
