6,664 IDP families returned to North Waziristan from Afghanistan: Assembly told

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhunkhwa Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Sultan Muhammad Monday informed that at-least 6,664 internally displaced families, who fled to Afghanistan during military operation against terrorists in North Waziristan, have returned to their respective areas with the support of government and security forces while the remaining would return soon after security clearance.

Responding to a question during question hour session of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly chaired by the Speaker Mushtaq Ghani, the minister said the government was providing financial assistant of Rs12,000 per month to each displaced family as part of efforts to settle them in their respective areas without any worry.

He said that 2041 families of North Waziristan were still living in Bakakhel camp for displaced persons and some others in Afghanistan, adding the government was taking appropriate measures for their earlier return after security clearance from relevant departments.

The minister said that all available facilities were being given to TDPs at camps in various parts of the province.

To a call attention notice of Jamaat-e-Islami member Inayatullah Khan regarding suspension of 715 Levies and Khasadar personnel, he informed that they were suspended in September 2009 out of which 500 were restored from time to time while a special committee of Home Department has been constituted for reinstatement of the remaining 215 personnel.

Earlier, Mir Kalam Wazir, Nighat Orakzai of PPP, Inayatullah Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami, Ahmad Kundi of PPP, Basirat Bibi of Balochistan Awami Party, Maulana Isamudding of Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam and Khushdil Khan Advocate demanded of the government to facilitate the people of merged district like people of other parts of the country.

They said that their houses, schools, hospitals, business and infrastructure were destroyed in war on terror.

They said that tribal people have rendered sacrifices for the sake of motherland and now it is responsibility of the government to provide all kinds of facilities to them and play role for their early return especially those who were living in Afghanistan or TDPs camps.