The wretched of Waziristan

It seems the traumatic times being faced by the voiceless people of North Waziristan are not coming to an end any time soon – in fact they may be getting worse. The irony is that the media does not seem bothered by whatever is happening to these people as almost all the activities related to them are handled by one institution.
Even the dreadful incident that took place recently at the Bakakhel IDP camp went unreported by the media. Urban generous Pakistan would rather raise funds and charity for the Rohingyas than talk of the miseries of their own internally displaced refugees. The question of accountability for the lives lost in Bakakhel cannot dare be entertained. If their dead bodies don’t count, their deplorable conditions would certainly not make anybody blink in urban Pakistan. Their dead are not considered worthy of even a small mention on our TV channels.
We are not aware of the rest of their miseries and what they have been through and the brutalities they have been dealt with. The IDPs are living in a wretched condition in the Bakakhel camp; the heat is unbearable and the tents used for more than a year are unable to stop its intensity of heat. Hats off to the only two international radio services, Dewa and Mashaal, who have given coverage to the grievances of the IDPs.
The ostrich-like reaction of our state and our people after the Bakakhel incident was a very clear message for the people of North Waziristan – your blood carries no value in this country. All the pillars of the state showed a criminal silence on the incident. There was no suo motu taken by the Supreme Court, no condemnation by parliament, no reports in the media but the most disappointing reaction was shown by the political parties who claim to be the representatives of the people. None of the political parties, except ANP, showed any grievance over the incident.
The post-operation situation does not sound so promising for these unfortunate people. It has been claimed that about 90 percent area has been cleared over the past year, but the question is why just 90 percent? There have not been any high-profile killings or arrests there. The real achievement of the operation would be to step into Shawal and some areas of Dattakhel – among the 10 percent area that is yet to be cleared.
There are also some reports and visual proofs that markets and buildings located in Miranshah and Mir Ali bazaars have been demolished. One of the videos shows that when you move onwards the agency headquarters hospital in Miranshah the markets and buildings are completely razed to ground. This is an area that used to be a very busy bustling place for business. Now it looks like a smooth playground and is hardly recognisable.
The owners of these shops and markets are still to hear any reasons over why their properties have been bulldozed. The problem is that they have no hope of justice. After watching these videos people are also worried about their homes and all the valuables they had left over there because they were only able to take some clothes along since they left in such a rush. Eyewitnesses are also reporting that there are some strange buildings under construction – over other people’s lands.
Along with all the hardships the IDPs are going through, their most popular demand was to let them go back home. Minister for SAFFRON Abdul Qadir Baloch and the officials of the Pakistan Army has been announcing different schedules for the IDPs’ return at different times but after watching photographs of demolished markets etc one wonders what they would do if they were sent back to their homes. Their markets have been bulldozed and no one knows the state of their homes. There are also reports of terrible mistreatment of those IDPs who have made it back home.
The people of North Waziristan were living with the hope that a time would come when they would be able to return to their homes and live normal lives. But after hearing about the agonies of those who went back and the hectic process of entering Waziristan, they are losing this only hope they had of a better life. This attitude of the state is creating anti-state sentiments amongst the IDPs and a spark from any quarter can lead towards disaster. The wretched are truly stuck between state and anti-state elements.
The writer is a North Waziristan-based lawyer and political worker.
Email: mohsindawar@yahoo.com