Pain of Bajaur operation's 400,000 homeless

[Naveed Yaseen]

Myra Imran
Pain of being homeless was writ on their faces and grief of losing their relatives and livelihood was evident too yet most noticeable was their anger over the injustice done to them in the documentary produced by Samar Minallah.

Unable to speak Urdu, the displaced people of Bajaur kept asking questions to which no one had an answer. “Aren’t we also Pakistani? Can anyone dare to spend a short while in these tents? Why these injustices prevail? Why no one stands for us?” said Shukurullah, a refugee.

The documentary depicts the ordeal the people especially women and children of Bajaur are going through as a result of the military operation and US strikes in the area.

Though lacking a bit on the research side, the documentary skillfully highlights the issue that has been ignored nationally and internationally.

One woman interviewed in the short film said that she left her daughter and minor son behind so that they could take care of the cattle, as they could not afford to lose their only source of livelihood.

“My daughter was screaming hysterically when we were leaving but we had no choice — I am so worried for her,” said Zainab Bibi hiding her face from the camera.

The refugees said that they could not even think about going back. “Back home, when civilians die because of the military attacks people are too afraid to bury them,” said Abdur Rehman, who lost his four-year-old daughter and a niece to cholera due to unhygienic conditions at the refugee camps. “We could not afford to take them back for burial. The displacement has made us sad,” he said.

Representing Bajaur Youth Movement, Saeed Khan said that they were concerned over the future of displaced children. “We had always wanted them to follow the better path. We request the country to ponder over the issue. Are they not being forced to become Taliban?” he asked.

Saeed said that about 400,000 people have been displaced from Bajaur and majority of them are children and women. “In this camp alone, there are around 1400 people and 913 of them are children. Without schools what do you expect them to become,” he questioned.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=144301
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Rehabilitation of displaced people of Bajaur urged
Noor Aftab
A documentary, prepared by Samar Minallah on the plight of people, especially women and children, displaced from their homes due to military operation in Bajaur was launched here on Friday.

The ceremony, organised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), was attended by people from all walks of life.

Renowned women’s rights activist and anthropologist Samar Minallah, while elaborating the main theme of her documentary, said this effort was aimed at bringing forth the real face of displacement due to the operation.

She said it was 17-minute long documentary highlighting the impact of the operation and US strikes on the lives of women and children in the tribal areas.

Samar said given the conditions confronting the local people of Bajaur, one wondered what would make of their lives and future and what path would they choose if today they experienced the silence and insensitivity of the outside world towards their agony and plight.

“This situation needs the attention of the people and government of Pakistan as well as the international community because the hard times being faced by the local tribesmen in Bajaur may pave the way for an unfortunate human tragedy,” she said.

She said the documentary was an effort to generate dialogue and draw attention towards the human aspects of the ongoing situation in Bajaur.

The participants said the end of the operation and early rehabilitation of the displaced people was the most urgent aspect of this entire situation that has caught the attention of the people at national and international level as well.

PML-Q MNA Marvi Memon said the government should ensure early implementation of the joint resolution on war on terror passed in the in-camera session of the Parliament.

She said 14-point resolution could lead to peaceful solution to ongoing situation in the tribal areas where rising militancy has become a matter of grave concern for the local people.

Marvi emphasised the need for taking early and effective steps to rehabilitate the displaced people in their respective tribal areas and provide them basic facilities of life.

“No visible improvement can be made in the tribal areas unless the genuine stakeholders are taken into confidence in the decision making process,” she said.

Prominent social activist and HRCP counsel member Tahira Abdullah said the civil society would not leave the innocent civilians of the tribal areas alone in this critical situation and make every effort to ensure their protection and rehabilitation.

She said the ongoing operation in the tribal areas has rendered thousands of the people homeless who have been living a miserable life in relief camps.

Tahira Abdullah said the government should find out a peaceful solution to the FATA problem and if it continued the policy of use of force then the situation would further deteriorate day by day.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=144300