Kurram DPs oppose rehabilitation procedure

The displaced families of Kurram tribal district have opposed the procedure of rehabilitation and warned that if their demands regarding return to hometown are not accepted they will move to a court of law and also announce march on Islamabad to observe a sit-in outside parliament house.
Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday a group of elders led by Haji Rohullah said that at least 1000 families of Parachinar had been out of their villages for the past 11 years but the federal government had never paid serious attention towards their demands.
"The government is forcefully sending the families to their villages and those not willing are threatened that their computerized national identity cards, passports would be blocked and land properties confiscated," he said and described this policy for rehabilitation as sheer injustice.
Rohallah revealed that after 11 years when the people returned to the hometowns they found their houses completely collapsed but the government was not ready to release funds for reconstruction of the buildings, shops. Besides, he alleged that some elders of the area were hand in glove with the administration and forcing the people to return to hometown so that to show their performance in media, saying that the displaced families were unable to reconstruct their houses at their own.
"Government should take the displaced people into confidence as a stakeholder so that the issues could be resolved through negotiations," he suggested and added that they wanted to extend all kinds of cooperation to the administration for restoration of peace in the area.
He said that the displaced families had formed a committee to represent them in case of meetings and no one other than the committee leaders had the right to make any commitment on their part. "Some of the tribal elders want to serve their own interests but we will not allow anyone to exploit us," he said.
Besides, he stressed the need that government should focus on provision of basic facilities of education, health and announce a financial package for welfare of the displaced families so that they could restart business activities in their localities.