Return of families to Orakzai resumes

500 Akhel families back in native areas

HANGU: The return of the remaining displaced families of Akhel tribe to native areas resumed as 500 more families on Wednesday reached upper parts of Orakzai Agency.

The process had been suspended due to Eidul Azha. General Officer Commanding (GoC) Tirah Daburi in Upper Orazkai Colonel Sheraz saw off the retuning families at the entry point in Raistan here.

Around 3,000 families of Akhel tribe have been sent back to native areas during the ongoing repatriation process, which would continue till October 4 next. A total of 5,000 families would be returned during the ongoing process.

The retuning families were not registered with the Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) and the political administration had verified to the authority that they were the inhabitants of Orakzai, after which these families were allowed to return to their settlements.

Around 2,034 such families of Mullahkhel and 174 families of Kundi Mushti tribe had been sent back to their native areas so far.

The repatriation process of the tribespeople of Mamozai tribe could not be started so far.A total of 40,000 families of internally displaced families (IDPs) had been sent back to native areas in various parts of Orakzai Agency after the launch of the process, officials at the FDMA said.

Colonel Sheraz said that each unregistered returning family was given a tent.Project Manager of the WCO Wakeel Khan said that tent schools would be set up in the demolished school buildings to start educational activities there.

The returning tribesmen were happy and concerned at the same time. They said that their properties, even mosques and school buildings had been destroyed there.They asked the government to pay the owners whose properties and other structures were destroyed during militancy and subsequent military operations against them so that they could rebuild houses before the start of the forthcoming winter season.