January 13, 2025
By Islam Gul Afridi
KHYBER
Victims of the ongoing displacement process from the Tirah Valley are facing serious difficulties. Many fake cases have surfaced where some miscreants are arriving from other unaffected areas only to obtain financial benefits which have in turn multiplied the problems of actual displaced families.
District authorities and a 24-member committee have made changes to the procedures for providing facilities to the affected people. Tokens are now issued in Tirah center Larbagh instead of Dotoi, while transport money is given in Bara Mandi Kas instead of Payinda Cheena. Despite these changes, the victims are not satisfied with this system.
Delays in registration, and administrative shortcomings
Sixty-year-old Jan Akbar was displaced from the Barqambar Khel area of Tirah Valley on January 8. He has been standing in a queue for the past two hours to collect 22,000 rupees for travel expenses. He was told that a decision regarding payment for families who arrived before January 10 and 11 would be made later.
“We have already migrated, therefore we should have been paid,” Jan Akbar said.
While police have made security arrangements at the Mandi Kas center, no official from the district administration or the Provincial Disaster Management Authority was present to provide information or assistance regarding the problems in money distribution.
Problems created by registration of non-locals
Asif Khan has reached Bara with his family after being displaced from the Malik Din Khel area of Tirah Valley. He says that very few permanent residents of the village have migrated, while the number of those coming only for registration from the plain areas of Khyber or Peshawar is much higher.
“Because of these people, genuine victims are being deprived of their rights and difficulties in the registration process have increased,” he says. “The government should immediately utilize the services of the 24-member committee in the verification process of local people so that the problems of migrating families can be reduced.”
Thirty-year-old Syed Muhammad belongs to the Malik Din Khel tribe. He was present at the counter to receive money for transport, but was told that due to NADRA’s non-verification of him being a permanent resident of Tirah Valley, he would only receive vehicle fare money.
Delays in transport fare payment
Sajid Ali is a truck driver who delivered a family’s household goods to Bara last night for a fare of 50,000 rupees.
However, he has now been told to wait in front of the proposed center in Bara until the government provides the money.
“We had agreed with the affected family’s owner for two days, but due to the rush, we reached Bara in three days. We have been waiting since morning but so far we don’t know anything about receiving the money. We told the owner that we have nothing to do with the government, we should pay our fare,” Sajid Ali says.
Asif Khan says that he is temporarily staying with his relatives in Bara because he cannot find a house for rent. “We had to leave our homes in a state of destitution,” he said.
Protests and political leaders’ intervention
Because of problems in receiving money, Tirah victims blocked the Bara-Tirah Highway in protest. Local political leader Khan Wali Afridi got the road opened for traffic after assuring protesters that their problems would be resolved.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf activist Zahidullah Afridi alleged that some officials of the district administration are taking bribes and registering Afridi tribes residing in other areas.
“On one hand, there is eviction from Tirah Valley in severe cold, while on the other hand, incomplete arrangements have multiplied these people’s problems. All relevant institutions should make arrangements to facilitate the registration of permanent residents in Tirah Valley and other facilities,” Zahidullah Afridi said.
Historical background and current situation
According to a 2013 International Organization for Migration report on the first displacement from Tirah, 11,404 families with a population of 55,194 had migrated.
According to the report, the displaced persons were residing in Jalozai Camp, New Durani Camp, Karam, and Kohat, either on rent or with relatives.
An agreement was reached at the end of December between the 24-member committee consisting of Tirah Valley elders, security officials, and the district administration.
Under this, the displacement process from Tirah Valley started on January 10, which will be completed on January 25.
The committee initially presented 25 and later more than 30 demands to the authorities, which include financial assistance for rent, giving 250,000 rupees once through SIM cards and 50,000 rupees monthly, along with a phased return process of displaced persons from April 5.
According to district officials, the process of issuing tokens to families leaving the valley had started from November, while the registration process started from January 5 instead of 10 at Payinda Cheena. According to sources, it is not possible to complete the registration process by January 25.
Demands of the victims
Local people said there are unusual delays in the process from obtaining tokens to formal registration. Due to lack of facilities, women, children, and elderly people in vehicles are facing severe difficulties.
The displaced people say that instead of people permanently residing in the valley, problems have multiplied several times due to large numbers coming for registration from other areas. The victims have demanded that registration of people coming from other areas only to obtain financial benefits should be stopped immediately so that relief can be provided to genuine victims.