IDPs accuse political workers of exploiting aid

[Naveed Yaseen]

Saadia Khalid
The internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Malakand Division alleged that some political workers giving them ‘false hope’ of better facilities brought them to federal capital for “actually exploiting the aid” being provided for them.

Talking to ‘The News’ a number of IDPs from Malakand Division said that after migrating to Islamabad they have not been provided the facilities they were promised by some political workers.

It has been learnt by ‘The News’ that few political workers are convincing the affectees to set up their camps in capital city rather than setting them up at their adjoining areas including Mardan, Swabi, Charsada and Peshawar. The refugees at the camp revealed the shocking fact that the persons involved in the migration process were not providing them even the one time meal, while the donations they received from the various ends had not been spent on them.

A camp had recently been established in Sector G-7 where around 19 families, migrated from different parts of NWFP, had settled down and living in a miserable condition.

The refugees severely criticised the political workers who asked them to set up their camps in Islamabad and are now not ready to provide any facilities. The people in the camp are not having anything with them except few necessary clothes and utensils while they claimed to be deprived from any type of donations or other facilities.

Talking to ‘The News’ the refugees claimed, “Some people donated some goods, but we haven’t got anything, as it had been grabbed by the political workers.”

Shabana, a mother of nine kids who migrated with her family from Swat, said that the government should have formulated a proper strategy in order to tackle the issue of IDPs. “They must have been aware of the circumstances then they should have planned some concrete strategies to accommodate people like us,” she said.

Another refugee Zeba, from Bunair, said that she has five kids and have nothing to feed them. “There was no space for more refugees in Peshawar camps so we headed towards capital,” she said. She said that they were living without proper toilets and a man was bitten by the snake when he was out for natural call last night. “Just tell me our fault in this entire episode,” she said.

The refugees apparently had been fascinated by the donations or aid they expected to receive during their stay in the capital city. “Some people told us that we would receive free food, medicines and shelter in Islamabad, which would not be provided to us in refugee camps at other part of the country,” said a refugee.

On the other hand People’s Youth Organisation (Malakand Division) Divisional President Khurshid Adil told ‘The News’ that the affectees were having security concerns in the refugee camps in other cities so they were brought here. “The security conditions in adjoining areas including Mardan and Peshawar were not satisfactory so we brought them here for the security of their lives,” he claimed. He said that they have not received a single penny, as donation from the government, however, a few traders organisations and philanthropists have donated them some money, which had been spent on the refugees. “We are doing this for God’s sake and have no vested interests,” he said.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=177284