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BAJAUR: Around 500,000 men, women and children
have migrated from Bajaur to other parts of the NWFP province
during last 19 days due to ongoing operation in the area,
and it is a matter of grave concern. This was stated by President
Al-Khidmat Foundation Naimatuallah Khan Advocate in a press
conference, here on Monday.
Khan said that according to government statistics the total
population of Bajaur is around 900,000, out of which 500,000
people have migrated to other parts of the provinces, specially
Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Mohmand Agency Naushera and Malakand
He further said that this internal mass migration of Pakistan
was the largest migration in the history of the country. “These
people have nothing with them except the clothes on body”,
he said
Al-Khidmat President informed the media that Al-Khidmat Welfare
Foundation has set up 13 relief camps and 245 residential
camps for these migrants including men, women and children
in Lower Dir, Mohmand Agency, Malakand, Mardan, Naushera and
Charsadda, adding that the largest number of refugees has
taken shelter in Manda, Mohmand Agency and Ghazibeg in district
Dir. Khan further informed that the number of registered migrants
who had taken shelter in the relief camps of Al-Khidmat was
391,320, adding these include a large number of women and
children. Al-Khidmat President said that epidemic diseases
were on the rise in these camps, specially children were become
victim of fever, adding two children had already died of diarrhea
in refugee camp in Peshawar last day. He said that around
1000 Al-Khidmat volunteers including 200 women were working
serving these migrants in these relief camps, adding that
around 22 small vehicles and 50 big vehicles were being plied
to bring the migrants at safer places. Naimatullah Khan criticized
government, and other non-government organizations for not
coming forward to help the displaced people of Bajaur. He
said that it was matter of great concern that government had
failed to provide support and relief to the refugees. Khan
demanded of the government to immediately halt the operation
in Bajaur and resolve the matter through dialogue, besides
providing safe environment to the affectees so that they could
return their homes soon. He also appealed to nation to join
hands with the Al-Khidmat Foundation in order to solve the
problems of refugees.—Agencies |
