Rawalpindi: Drone attacks once again push IDPs to the city

[Naveed Yaseen]

Khalid Iqbal
More than 300 families from tribal areas have once again migrated to Rawalpindi following US drone attacks in their areas during the last few weeks.

Since inception of the new US government, around fifteen drone attacks have been carried out by the US in Pakistan’s tribal areas and the internally

displaced people (IDPs) from Matta, Dir, Chakdara, Yagy Sharky, Waziristan, Mohmmand, Bajaur, Charsadda, Kalam,

Usshu and Swat have migrated to Rawalpindi and are finding it hard to get some place to live.

Most of the families have moved to areas like Bokra, Pirwadhai Katchi Abadi, Rawat, Sihala, Jangi Syedan, Misrial and Kalar Syedan.

Talking to ‘The News’ they said the US drone attacks were making the lives of the people of tribal belt, a living hell and they could not imagine to live in such conditions.

The US is killing Pakistani populace and our government is not taking any solid step against them.

Bismillah Khan, a migrant from Waziristan Agency, told ‘The News’ that back in Waziristan they always lived with a fear of death.

“No one could stop US drones from attacking civilians, as they flew in the air without any hindrance.

Therefore I along with my family moved to Rawalpindi to live in peace, he added.

Ziarat Khan from Mohmmand Agency said this was his second migration to Rawalpindi, as two months ago he went back to his hometown, but the situation in his area was same so he once again migrated to Rawalpindi. “The US is bent upon killing Pakistanis, but our government is not taking steps to stop them,” he added.

Rehman Shah, from Chakdara, said that there was no peace across the country particularly in tribal areas because Americans are targeting them without any hindrance.

Mirmina Yousafzai, a student of class 9 from Swat told ‘The News’ that she left her town with her family because of the flogging of a teenage girl by Taliban. “They openly thrash girls,” she said.

With the arrival of more families from tribal areas have created a law and order situation as the security agencies time and again warned the government of terrorist attacks on important government installations and personalities.

The law enforcement agencies also raided the localities where these migrants have set up their camps and arrested them on suspicion, but released them after thorough investigation.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=171389