Our hearts filled with grief when a militant in
Swat shot our innocent Malala Yousafzai on October 9, 2012. The whole Pakistani nation was shocked by this
unfortunate incident. World leaders including the UN Secretary General issued
statements of condemnation of this horrible act of violence against an innocent
child speaking for the rights of children to education.
The innocent IDP children of Waziristan are waiting
for a similar response from the Pakistani nation and the international
community during their unimaginable stories of sufferings.
So far Mr. Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf
(PTI) visited District Bannu to have a first hand experience of the sufferings
of North Waziristan IDPs.
As of today, according to media reports, Prime
Minster Mr. Nawaz Sharif has made up his mind to visit IDPs camps in Bannu on
the eleventh day of Zarb-e-Azb military operation in North Waziristan. So far Pakistan
army has taken the lead in providing relief and assistance to the North
Waziristan in coordination with Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON)
and FATA Disaster Management Authority (FDMA).
Unfortunately no lessen were learned from the Swat
– Malakand IDPs crisis in 2009. The biggest lesson of Swat- Malakand IDPs
crisis was that in Pakhtun culture it is difficult to stay in IDPs camps with
women if the arrangement of the camps and tents is not socially and culturally
fitting. This was the reason that 80 % of IDPs stayed with host families. Only
10 % were in government camps and 10 % were in private camps setup by faith-based
and charitable organizations. The bond
of Pakhtunwali and Islam was the foundation of this unprecedented support for
the Swat- Malakand IDPs, which was world wide appreciated.
In the case of North Waziristan IDPs the example of
Swat- Malakand IDPs crisis should have provided the basis for the government
strategy to cope with the NW IDPs. When the government authorities were investing
in setting up the Bakka Khel IDP camp in FR Bannu the presumption was that the
NW IDPs would stay in the camp, which did not happen. Now the question is what
was the plan B of the government to deal with a situation wherein host families
have to handle the IDPs? The plan B could have been, based on learning from
Swat- Malakand IDPs crisis, that the Deputy Commissioners could have convened a
meeting of the property dealers, political leaders, civil society actors and
discussed and elaborated a plan for the accommodation of the influx of IDPs
from NW. In return for hosting a family,
the government could have had compensated each hosting family in cash.
Similarly public buildings such as schools and non-functional health centers in
rural areas could also have been used for accommodating the IDPs of NW. Since
the IDPs have left all their assets in NW except their cattle (and perhaps some
cash & jewelry items), the government could also have purchased the cattle
on high prices from the IDPs to avoid their sale on throwaway prices. Similarly
the special needs of women and children could have been better handled by
creating a network of women volunteers especially female school teachers, Lady
health workers (LHWs), Traditional Birth attendants (TBAs).
It is also difficult to understand the decision of
government of Pakistan in the first place to deny the international support,
including support from the UN, for coping with NW IDPs crisis. The decision by the government of Pakistan
yesterday to seek UN support for the NW IDPs speaks volumes about the flawed
policy priorities in addressing this tragedy of enormous proportions. In moments
of national crisis political leadership rise above partisan interests to meet
difficult challenges but the refusal of PTI’s chief Mr. Imran Khan to accompany
Prime Minster Mr. Nawaz Sharif to the NW IDPs camp in District Bunnu is
lamentable.
The silence of the
international community including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on this humanitarian tragedy is unjustified on
whatever grounds. Western governments have also ignored the NW IDPs. Any significant world leader has issued no
single statement in support of the NW IDPs so far.
The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has
reportedly convened an All Parties’ Conference in Peshawar on the IDPs crisis
after a statement by the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) chief Mr. Aftab Ahmad Khan
Sherpaow. This would have been much
better if it was convened by Prime Minster Mr. Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad to
address the NW IDPs crisis and show solidarity and support for the people of
North Waziristan who are sacrificing for the future of Pakistan.
The uncoordinated and poorly planned response to
the NW IDPs crisis by the government of Pakistan need serious review to fill
the gaps in the strategy and policy framework of humanitarian response to the
IDPs crisis and should focus on rebuilding the lives of the IDPs back in
Waziristan after the military operation.
[1]
Shad Begum is a human rights activist from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan and a
recipient of international women of courage award. She could be reached on shadbegum@gmail.com
