PESHAWAR: Conflict may have destroyed homes, businesses and displaced people of tribal areas but the worst that has happened remains unnoticed.

Turban, symbolic of honour and leadership, in Pakhtun tribes has lost its respect.

The elderly men from North Waziristan, wearing their brown turbans, sitting on a plastic mat on a footpath near Peshawar Press Club for the last seven days and protesting for restoration of relief package, look more like paupers begging authorities to treat them like human beings than tribal elders.

Years of conflict and then displacement has not only damaged their traditions but also affected their appearance. The unwashed faces and hair and staying for days on footpath had turned them more like homeless people which ironically they have become.

Sadly, few blocks away, there is a well-guarded palatial Governor’s House. The governor, who is agent of the President of Pakistan for tribal areas, cannot understand language of the tribal people but he has closed his eyes and ears too to the plight of the men, who had been denied relief package for the last five months.

Authorities seem oblivious to the protest of tribal elders for restoration of relief package

“I have a 21-member family and just few blankets and household things were given to us. For the last five months, I have not received any relief,” said Shahbaz from Dosalli, who lived in Danday and has lost his house. His voice became hoarse as he could not explain any further how his family was living since displacement.

The five tehsils, which have been de-notified or conflict-free on July 24, 2015, include Razmak, Speenwaam, Sheewa, Dosalli and Garhyom.

In fact no one got displaced from these areas. Those, who had CNICs or permanent addresses from these conflict-free areas but had businesses and houses in other militancy-affected areas of North Waziristan, decry that for the last five months they had been not given relief package for their areas were peaceful in the eyes of the authorities.

They are faced with a dilemma since they have lost everything and are penniless but authorities have not included them in package announced for the IDPs of other parts of North Waziristan.

Mohammad Rahim, having Shewa as his permanent address, had business in Miramshah. He said that he lived in Miramshah and lost everything. For one week they had been waiting for governor, their MNA and even Fata Disaster Management Authority but no one responded.

Another man from Razmak who used to live in Miramshah said that Razmak was peaceful but it was not different from a jail. “Once you go inside it is difficult to get out if you get sick or have some problem,” he said.

He said that they sacrificed everything but got nothing in return. “The governor says that 98 per cent of the area is free but I say that even eight per cent is not clear for poor people, who cannot move freely in their own hometown,” said the bearded middle-aged man.

Niaz Noor, a handicapped man in miserable condition, said that he had no right to anything in Razmak or Miramshah. Was this the reward for their sacrifice for Pakistan, he asked.

Malik Jan Farhad, one of the elders, said that they had been trying to contact the authorities so that the people of those five tehsils could be verified as IDPs. He said that 21,000 families were affected and displaced from those tensils and only 5,000 returned. The people, who had houses and businesses in the areas where military operations were carried out, should be recognised as IDPs as they had nowhere to go.

The people from tribal areas said that they would continue to protest and go to the Governor’s House and even Islamabad if they were not heard. “We would also register our protest at UN agencies offices if no one pays heed to us,” said Malik Jan Farhad.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2015