20,000 families back home in Pakistan's North

July 18: Nearly 20,000 families of internally displaced persons had gone back to their native areas in Malakand region since the government launched the return programme for them on July 13, officials said on Saturday.

NWFP Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain said at a press conference in Peshawar that 18,648 had returned Swat and Buner districts from Mardan, Swabi and Nowshera till Friday last. He said that more than 14,000 displaced families living in camps and with host families had arranged their own transport while government had provided transport facility to 4,000 families.

The minister said that 15,223 families had returned to Swat valley and 3,425 proceeded back to Buner district. Majority of the families living with host families had gone back.

He said that 9,698 families went back to Swat and Buner only on Friday, most of them through self help basis. He added hat return process was going smoothly. He said that provincial government had set up 10 help points from Landakai to Mingora to assist the returning IDPs.

Officials said that some 1,100 families returned to their homes in Swat, Buner and Lower Dir districts on Saturday. According to the official figures 700 families left Mardan for Swat and Buner while 388 families returned from Swabi districts. Total 103 families left camps for Lower Dir. The return process of IDPs from Jalozai camp in Nowshera would resume from Sunday.

The minister said in his press conference that World Food Programme was establishing food distribution centres in Tekhta Bend, Barikot, Khwazakhel, Char Bagh and Kabal areas of Swat district.

He said that 50 truckloads of food rations were being sent to Swat while 1,200 food packets had already been dispatched to Lower Dir.

Regarding distribution of cash grant, the minister said that Rs2.93 billion had been distributed among the IDPs through cash card scheme. The National Database Registration Authority, he said, had prepared 175,279 cash cards of which 172,728 cards had been distributed among IDPs through United Bank Limited.

He said that total 323 Sikh families, who had left Buner due to conflict, had also received cash cards. He said that remaining families would soon get their cash cards through bank.

Online adds: Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain has said that at least 3,000 families have arrived from South Waziristan, owing to possible military action against militants in the area.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, he said that Darogha and tehsil Ladha had been declared as conflict-hit areas and the provincial government was establishing District Response Units for the migrating tribesmen.

He said that mobile teams of Nadra had registered about 1,916 families of Mehsud tribe.