Afghanistan Times
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From Shamim Shahid-PESHAWAR: Tribesmen from Danday Darpakhel, an outskirt locality of Miranshah, headquarter of North Waziristan have staged a demonstration in front of Press Club at Bannu on Tuesday in a bid to force the government for their early repatriation.
The tribesmen announced that they will remain on a three days sit in front of Bannu Press Club and urged the government to address their demands immediately otherwise they threatened of going on a similar protest in Islamabad.
The sit in was attended by scores of tribesmen from all over Danday Darpakhel and addressed by elders from different parts of North Waziristan. During the protest camp, the tribesmen have chanted slogans in favour of their demands which beside repatriation are also included return of their homes, properties and other belongings.
Malik Glulam a leading tribal elder from North Waziristan Agency has also addressed the protesters and supported their demands. Talking to this scribe, Malik Ghulam said that around 80 percent tribesmen have been repatriated to their homes but didn’t allowed return to Danday Darpakhel. He said that tribesmen insisting on their repatriation to native villages and hamlets before Ramzan Ul Mubarak.
He also said that government’s decision of terminating TDP status of displaced tribesmen also made worry the tribesmen. Similarly these protesters also shown disappointment over destruction of their homes and occupation of properties.
Malik Ghulam said that Danday Darpakhel is very close to Miranshah town, whereas the security forces established barracks and posts. On such grounds, this area is considered very safe and secure.
Danday Darpakhel is adjacent to Miranshah and considered most sensitive. In past, Danday Darpakhel remain headquarter of Maulvi Jalal Ud Din Haqqani, alleged pioneer of Haqqani network and minister in Taliban regime.
The Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (FATA) Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) has already declared April 15, 2017 as last day for the repatriation of Temporary Displaced People (TDP’s). In this respect, all TDP’s through press advertisements have directed for de-registration of their cards. Such notices made worried the TDP’s as almost of them are residing in rented houses. Through Watan Cards, the government since June 2014 giving a standard package of cash and kinds to TDP’s on monthly basis.
Beside repatriation of TDP’s from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other main cities and towns throughout the country, tribesmen slipped into adjacent Khost province of Afghanistan are also returning. In this respect, these tribesmen are welcomed in Ghulam Khan, crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan in North Waziristan. But they are shifted to Baraan Camp near Bannu in connection with what the authorities call screening and investigation. However, screening and interrogation process has made uncertain tribesmen, thus affecting the repatriation process from Khost Afghanistan.
