August 20, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
Hafiz Ghulamur Rehman, displaced by Operation Sarbakaf, scatters grain for his chickens and fills water containers before leaving his home, hoping they might survive for some time while he is away.
As he takes his final steps out of his house, he is tearful. He is caught in a mix of emotions — sorrow, hope, and worry, bidding farewell to the home where he was born, raised, and where countless memories remain. He tried to remain hopeful that peace will return to his area and that he will soon be able to go back to his ancestral home. But at the same time, he fears whether their homes would still be standing when they returned.
“We left our house for the sake of peace. It was not an easy decision. But there is a constant fear and risk that, due to the bombings, our homes may be partially or completely destroyed by the time we return,” he said.
Thirty-five-year-old Ghulamur Rehman hails from the village of Zare in Loi Mamund tehsil, Bajaur district. He is also a volunteer of the Al-Khidmat Foundation providing aid services to families since the government launched counter-terrorism military operation in his area under the name Operation Sarbakaf.
Speaking about the circumstances during their displacement, Rehman told Voicepk, “On July 27 and 28, the government suddenly imposed a curfew in our area. From the actions of the security forces and the government, people realized that an operation had been decided. This spread panic among the population. Then we were abruptly told to evacuate our homes because of intelligence reports of militant presence, and the security forces were carrying out a clearance operation. After that, it was like doomsday — everyone was drenched in sweat, trying desperately to move their families and belongings to safer places. No one had time to think about others’ suffering. Each person was only focused on finding safety. People tried to arrange transport, but when it wasn’t available, many set out on foot with their livestock.”
Rehman said his grandmother has been unwilling to leave behind her house filled with livestock and belongings, as almost everyone else had done, leaving their homes and possessions behind and taking only essential items.
“She kept saying that whatever Allah has destined for us will come to us here at home.”
But after much pleading and counseling from her grandchildren, she was eventually persuaded to leave. Even now, she constantly longs for her home.
Most of the displaced people from Loi Mamund tehsil are now living with relatives in Khar tehsil, in government schools, or at a relief camp set up by the government at the Bajaur Sports Complex. Rehman himself is living with his relatives, along with four other displaced families, in a single-kanal house.
“Life here is very difficult and painful, but at least we are safe. I am hopeful this suffering will be temporary, and that’s why we are enduring it,” he said.
He added that although the government machinery is active, people are questioning the quality and quantity of aid being provided, and there are complaints of mismanagement and embezzlement.
“The main problem is the government’s poor planning and lack of proper arrangements for the affected people. For example, there is only one registration point for all IDPs at a place called Ghazafi, which is far away from most of the IDP-populated areas. Traveling their costs up to Rs. 2,000.”
This was confirmed by Sherzada, the district president of the Al-Khidmat Foundation, which has been helping the displaced since day one.
He estimated that the number of displaced people has now exceeded 100,000. However, because there is no effective registration system in place, the government has no official figures available.
Responding to the issue of limited registration centers, Bajaur’s Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali Khan issued a statement in a Facebook post that a registration point has already been set up in Utman Khel for affected families and that more centers will be established if necessary.
He instructed political leaders to suggest suitable locations for registration points so that facilities could be quickly provided to displaced families.
It is worth noting that the district administration, PDMA, and NGOs still do not have updated written figures for displaced persons. However, about a week earlier, local ANP lawmaker Nasir Baz told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly that around 55,000 people had been displaced from different areas of Mamund tehsil due to the military operation, while nearly 400,000 residents were trapped under the suddenly imposed curfew.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Mamund is Bajaur’s largest tehsil, with a population of 311,373.
Meanwhile, recent floods have further worsened the plight of displaced families. Niamatullah, a 34-year-old from Damadola, now living in the Bajaur Sports Complex IDP camp, said, “The government imposed a curfew, and I had to flee my home with my wife and four children with nothing but the clothes on our backs.”
A jeweler by profession, he now lives in a tent with his family.
“The operation took everything from us, and now the rains have made life miserable in this tent. The rains flooded our tents, ruining our blankets, clothes, and other belongings. We had to use jugs and pots to bail out the water,” he said.
Living under open skies in tents, multiple families crammed into small houses, and the lack of nutritious food have created serious health problems.
According to Rehman, “Children and adults here are suffering from skin diseases, food poisoning, and psychological stress.” He urged the government to set up free medical camps to address these issues.
Several displaced persons also told Voicepk that the recent floods in the province have diverted the government’s attention away from them and towards flood-affected populations. They demanded that, along with flood victims, facilities for survival must also be ensured for the IDPs.
Despite repeated attempts to contact the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) regarding the shortage of registration centers, the lack of data, the spread of diseases among women and children, and other problems facing IDPs — including questions sent via WhatsApp — no response was received until the filing of this report.
Similarly, Dr. Hameedur Rehman, the elected provincial assembly member from the constituency, was also contacted regarding the IDPs, but he too did not respond.