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Last week, the governor of Paktika, Abdul Karim Matin, alleged that the money earmarked by the ex-government for the displaced tribesmen of North Waziristan, who sought refuge in Khost and Paktika provinces, ended up in the pockets of Daesh militants. His comments stirred anger among ex-officials of the former government. The ex-National Secuirty Advisor, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, hit back at Matin and tagged the allegations highly misleading. Spanta said that National Security Council under his tutelage had provided relief aid to the displaced families. He said that at that time there was no sign of Daesh, so how that’s possible the aid must reach the insurgents. Moreover, the aid had been just humanitarian. Spanta castigated Matin for such an irresponsible comment against the ex-government. What Spanta said becomes a part of our unfortunate history. He said those who criticized the ex-government for delivering aid and assistance to the displaced Wazir tribesmen, speak the language of the Pakistan’s premier spy agency—ISI. Though, later on Matin reneged on the word by responding that he didn’t mean the aid and money went directly to Daesh militants, but, since security was too much volatile in the district of Barmal and the aid money “could” have reached into the hands of Daesh militants. Here even his clarification statement looks ridiculous as he still clings to a point which is highly objectionable, and the point is terrorists of Daesh. When there was no sign of Daesh how it could have reached into the hands of Daesh terrorists. But somehow he has distanced himself from his statement which is welcoming. The ex-government had distributed $200,000 among the displaced tribesmen, who sought refuge on this side of the Durand Line. The government of Pakistan, particularly its security establishment was foaming at the mouth over the act of the displaced tribesmen for seeking shelter in the southeastern provinces of Khost, Paktika and Paktia. The former Afghan government supported the stranded families wholeheartedly, which sent a good vibe among the Wazir tribesmen. Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul, issued statements to local media that those who migrated to Afghanistan from Waziristan were not Wazir tribesmen, but Afghan refugees living there in North Waziristan for the past 30 years. It indicates the degree of anger of Pakistan over the migration of these Wazir tribesmen to Khost, Paktia and Paktika while rejecting to go the camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bannu and Azakhel in Khyber Pakhtunkwha. Since the humanitarian aid and assistance were delivered under the oversight of the United Nations to 35,000 displaced people from North Waziristan in the three provinces, therefore, criticizing the ex-government is unjust. And if someone slams the former government for this humanitarian aid it means he is also criticizing the UN as it was not something that had taken place behind the closed doors. Spanta said that NSC in cooperation with the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), eight ministries and domestic organizations, including ministries of Interior, Defense, Finance, Border and Tribal Affairs as well as the National Directorate of Security (NDS), provided foods and other essential items to the displaced families.
As it is clear that Islamabad was not pleased with this humanitarian move of the previous Afghan government, hence from the day first, after the arrival of the Wazir tribesmen, controversial statements emerged. Some labeled the displaced tribal people as members of the militant groups and some termed the arrival a social problem. It is better to bury the statements that have no ground to stand on in the first place. Uncalled for criticism should be avoided. There is no harm in helping the brothers of the shared language and blood on the other side of the Durand Line at the critical hour as brotherhood matters a lot.
