Zakhakhels, Kukikhels seek resumption of relief goods

BARA: Expressing concern over the non-provision of relief packages, the internally displaced persons (IDPs) belonging to the Afridi sub-tribes, Zakhakhel and Kukikhel, in Khyber Agencyon Wednesday asked the government to resume distribution of ration to them.
“The IDPs belonging to other parts of Khyber Agency are being given ration and other relief packages but these are being denied to IDPs belonging to the two tribes,” said an elder Hakim Khan.
The elders of the two tribes said about 17,500 displaced persons were registered in Pishtakhara and other registration points when the security forces launched “Operation Khyber-1” against the militants in Khyber Agency on October 16, 2014.
Hakim Khan, an elder of the Zakhakhel tribe, said at least 9,500 families were registered by the Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) at the Pishtakhara registration centre.He said their fellow tribals were dislocated from Zaoddin, upper part of Bara subdivision, and other areas in the Bara tehsil.
“The IDPs belonging to the two tribes were given ration from the food distribution points two or three times, but now the FDMA has halted this,” the elder claimed.He pointed out the IDPs from Zakhakhel tribe were living in Akakhel, Sepah and other areas but they too were displaced when the military operation was launched in Khajuri area.
He claimed that the Zakhakhels had constructed houses and bought land in Akakhel, Sepah and other areas and had to face militancy and terrorism like the other tribes.Hakim Khan added that the displaced people of the Zakhakhel were now living in rented houses and were deprived of basic facilities. “Our rations were halted for last three months. The FDMA officials don’t know that we were living in areas where military action was carried out and we deserve to be given the relief package like other IDPs,” he argued.
The Kukikhel tribe too has a number of grievances. One of its members, Muhammad Gul Nawab, who too was displaced, said the government meted out step-motherly treatment to the IDPs from Kukikhel tribe.
He claimed that FDMA had not been giving ration and other relief packages to the IDPs since three months.He said, “When the ‘Operation Khyber-1’ was launched against Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Tirah valley, the inhabitants of Kukikhel areas in Tirah moved to safer places in Peshawar.”
He said about 8,000 Kukikhel IDPs were registered by the FDMA at various registration points.“The Kukikhel tribe has also suffered displacement due to the military operation in Tirah valley,” he maintained.