An exemplary peace has been restored in the once volatile South Waziristan Agency (SWA) after successive military offensives; however, the rising blasts of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have become a new challenge for the war-weary tribesmen, as so far 70 people have been affected by these blasts within few months after repatriation.
Pakistan has been battling an insurgency since 2004, following the United States-led invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan in 2001 and the subsequent spillover of militants across the border.
However, in the wake of military operations, a considerable improvement has been witnessed in the security situation in the restive area, once known home to militants; resultantly hundreds and thousands of displaced tribal people living a life as IDPs in various parts of the country for almost a decade, were asked to return to their home town.
Though the area has been cleansed of militants to a great extent, ironically no attention has been paid to the IEDs, planted widely in the war-ravaged area, which has become more sophisticated and more deadly over the past two decades.
Owing to the rising incidents of IEDs blasts, several people have lost their live and dozens of others sustained injuries of which majority are children mainly in Mehsud inhabited areas.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Manzoor Mehsud, a social activist and campaigner against IED blasts, said that the rising blasts caused by IED made their life miserable, as the victims mounted to 70 in short span of time.
He said that no place is safe from IEDs, as it is planted everywhere in the area including the damaged houses, playing grounds, lush green fields and even in the hilly areas; hence the people of all age are constantly getting victims to these hidden bombs.
Manzoor said that women died in the IED blasts planted in debris of their damaged houses and children fall prey to the deadly devices while playing.
Similarly, he lamented that the aged people often targeted by IEDs while walking in the fields, maiming and blinding dozens of people so far.
Therefore, he said that they repeatedly requested the political administration and security officials to cleanse the area of the time bombs, but so far no action has been taken in this regard.
Talking to this scribe, Gohar Mehusd, Multimedia Islamabad based tribal journalist said, “I believe the decision to send back IDPs was not taken in public interest but to extract foreign funds mere on the excuse of their rehabilitation.”
He said recently I visited different parts of tribal areas including South Waziristan and observed that even the houses and markets were not exempted from explosives; hence people started returning to settle areas from their home town.
The situation in North Waziristan is quite similar, as Irfanullah s/o Noor Muhammad r/o Danda Darpa Khel died in an IED blast, while five others Qudrat ullah r/o Hamzoni Pati Khel, Amin Ullah s/o Khameen, Yasir Ullah s/o Khameen and Azizullah s/o Yaqoob were severely injured.
When contacted, National Assembly Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Chairman MNA Maulana Jamal-ud-Din said that the government, chief of army staff and the Khyber-Pakhutnkhwa (KP) governor announced that the IDPs have been repatriated, which was widely welcomed but unfortunately the area had not been cleared of mines.
He said that it was a very serious issue, as over 60 people have lost their live so far, besides killing thousands of animals, as the area is full of mine because the officials confirmed presence of 8,000 mines only in Thangari Nazar Khel area.
He said that he raised the issue at all forums including parliament, with core commander, PM advisor and governor KP, but the government did nothing in this regard.
“I met Abdul Qadir Baloch, Minister for SAFRON, who, he said, realized the seriousness of the issue and at once directed the concerned quarter to sort out the issue,” the FATA MNA added.
He said that people went back to the area in order to live a happy life not to be killed by these mines, adding that the government knew about the mines and it has the resources to defuse them.
Jamal-ud-Din went on saying that if the government did not defuse the IEDs blasts it would be viewed either the authority had no resource to defuse them or feared of Taliban’s return to the area.
Disabilities resulting from explosive weapon injuries have a long-term impact, often forcing children to drop out of school, causing social exclusion and reducing their ability to earn a living when they are older along causing long-term psychological distress in children.
Besides, children with disabilities are more vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and destitution, while disabled girls are less likely to be considered marriageable.
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