The Pakistani Spectator

Finally the internally displaced persons have started returning to their homes. Homes they were made to quit due to brutalities inflicted on their peaceful lives by the savage Taliban. Hats off to these IDPs who successfully confronted the hard ships they faced while being away from their homes. The scorching heat, the consequent ailments that the elders and the children suffered while being in camps and the psychological trauma that they went through must have hardened their resolve to effectively defy any future subjugation by the evil forces of Taliban.

As per United Nations estimate over 3 million moved out of the troubled areas of FATA to avoid Taliban brutalities. Some analysts compared this mass movement of human beings with the one seen in the after math of the sub-continent’s division into two independent countries in 1947. This time the movement took place in the wake of deadly clashes that took place between the Taliban and the security forces in Swat valley and other sensitive areas of Malakand Division despite a peace deal signed between TNSM Chief Sufi Mohammad and the government of Balochistan. The blood let loose by the Taliban created such mayhem in the valley that a large number of panic stricken residents were forced to leave their ancestral homes for safer abodes in Peshawar and other comparatively peaceful areas of NWFP. When they left their homes having devastated by nearly over two years of Taliban insurgency, there were many emotional scenes. The valiant and extra ordinary bedraggled men, veiled women and children were seen all piled onto small trucks with their cattle and traveled and traveled to reach IDP camps set up by the Government in a short span of time. These IDPs have rendered great sacrifices. The hard times that they spent while being in the camps especially without the so much of promised aid, speaks of their courage, valour and audacity.

Having gained experience in handling IDPs once through hosting of millions of Afghan refugees, the massive earth quake that struck the northern areas and IDPs hailing from Bajaur agency, the government of Pakistan left no stone unturned and this time too, successfully handled the IDPs and accordingly dealt with the precarious humanitarian conditions that entailed the mass exodus. The UN, international aid agencies and Pakistani organizations have adequately supported the government’s response to the emergency by providing a range of items and services. The opportunity in handling the IDPs issue also provided a chance to the international community to show its support and solidarity with the IDPs however, the response has been too slow to indicate any formidable support to the civilian, democratic government of Pakistan and the humanitarian community. The weak reaction not only signified a failure to meet obligations to respond adequately to Pakistan’s humanitarian needs whereas it also undermined crucial opportunities to support democracy.

After the Swat operation by the security forces to re-establish law of the land and the writ of the government, Waziristan will be purged of the Taliban. Huge losses have already been inflicted on Taliban militants and they are under immense pressure as their top leadership is on the run towards safer abodes. Much of the top leadership has been wiped off and the main culprit Fazlullah has been reported to have been seriously injured. The left overs are believed to have moved deeper into the South Waziristan tribal agency bordering Afghanistan and some of them have returned to Afghanistan for Kunar. The success that has been achieved by our security forces to restore law and order in Swat, FATA and elsewhere in NWFP has been at great costs. Many precious lives of our valiant Officers and soldiers have been lost during the cleansing of Taliban from the areas. Despite civilian casualties in terms of property and lives, the IDPs have whole heartedly supported the government. However, the two most important issues that are compelling the IDPs to return home early are the luke warm response of the aid agencies and the donor countries barring a few like Turkey and UAE and the harvest time of the crops back home. Since peace has been established, the civil set up is returned and the police personnel resumed their check points, IDPs have started to return to their areas to re-start their lives afresh. The IDPs are still a great opportunity for Pakistan and the world especially the United States if only their minds and hearts can be won through immediate support in food supplies, providing them a place and help in their rehabilitation as they return to their native areas.

Whereas on one hand the return of the IDPs to their native areas signals the progression of their areas towards normalcy, it signals the most difficult phase that is rehabilitation on the other hand. The losses in the area have been reported to have reached in billions of rupees. The revenue department of the NWFP government is also in the process of assessing the losses and the cost required to rebuild the destroyed infra-structure. NWFP had estimated not too long ago, the losses in the Swat valley as having exceeded 32 billion rupees. The Under Secretary General for humanitarian affairs John Holmes who is the lead UN relief coordinator has already indicated that billions of dollars would further be required for the first year of IDPs’ return for the purposes of rehabilitation and reconstruction. It is for the world now to respond positively and immediately to the rehabilitation and economic needs of these IDPs for the delay and the missed chance would bear the potential to turn them into haters and drive them towards Taliban culture out of frustration to the detriment of regional and global interests and stability .

By Mashaal Javed