The recent bloody conflict between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Ansar-ul-Islam (AI) fighters in the remote Tirah valley of the Khyber Agency has left hundreds of people killed. However, the most sordid aspect of the conflict is that it has compelled thousands of people to leave their homes and become Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The number of killed and maimed could not be ascertained due to the extreme remoteness of the Tirah valley, where neither the media nor the state authorities have any real access.

Nevertheless, those killed number at least 300, according to sources within the IDPs and the international relief agencies. There are fears of increase in the number of victims as the figthing continues. To add insult to injury those who got displaced were not recognized by the government for a couple of weeks which multiplied their agonies manifold. AI has been an opponent group of the Mengal-Bagh-led Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) and both the groups have been engaged in severe fighting for years which resulted in the deaths of more than a thousand militants from both sides. Since the driving out of the LI from its base in Bara Tehsil (Khyber Agency), 25 kilometers from Peshawar, by security forces to the remote Tirah valley, it has joined hands with the TTP against its rival, AI.

The TTP militants came to Tirah from the adjoining Orakzai tribal agency, where it has strongholds, of which many got dislodged during the military operations. Thus, all these groups have been fighting for the control of the strategic Tirah valley. For the LI and the TTP, control of Tirah is important because this could provide them a new stronghold, where they could regroup and replenish their ranks. At present the situation is that the TTP has been able to squash AI in Tirah valley. The TTP militants in Tirah mostly comprise of non-locals which compelled the local residents to flee for their lives and become IDPs. These new IDPs have added to the already complex problem in various parts of FATA.

Due to years of militancy and insurgency in FATA, hundreds of thousands of people have to become IDPs and the exact number of these dislocated persons is still not known. The foremost reason is that most of them have been putting up with their relatives in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and, in some cases, in the Punjab and Karachi. The figure of those registered in the IDP camps runs into more than 100,000. It is important to note that just after the launch of the October 17, 2009, 'mother of all' operations in South Waziristan, around an estimated 200,000 people from the Mehsud part of the tribal district had left the area.

Most of these IDPs went to the contiguous areas of KP, in particular Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu as well as Bhakkar in the Punjab. The fate of the IDPs still hangs in the balance despite some improvement in the security situation in Kurram, Mohmand, Bajaur and South Waziristan agencies of FATA. These honourable Pakhtoon tribesmen and tribeswomen could never think of, and therefore, never took up residence at makeshift camps; they opted to put up with their relatives.

Moreover, whatever they had set aside for their rainy days during this dislocation, has been spent and they are now virtually in a state of hand to mouth. This is agonizing for these honourable residents of FATA, who used to host, for months, several guests, but now cannot make both ends meet. A large number of IDPs from Waziristan also chose to rent out houses in different towns of the KP instead of becoming a burden on their relatives and acquaintances. However, as time went by, these IDPs found it increasingly difficult to afford the rents, due to which a number of them had to shift to the IDP camps. Financial resources of many have been exhausted.

Whereas, those IDPs who have been accommodated by their relatives and friends have become almost an unbearable burden for their host. But the age-old Pakhtoon value of hospitality and to extend support to the displaced stops the host from complaining. However, locals are of the view that this situation cannot continue for more than a couple of months and the IDPs, one way or the other, have to return to their area and houses. Though the agonies of the IDPs from Khyber and South Waziristan have multiplied, they cannot return to their homes because of the presence of the threat to their lives due to the military operation and the potential of a renewal of fighting between Taliban-al-Qaeda guerillas and security forces.

Although the federal and provincial governments have made certain arrangements, like issuing 'smart' cards after registering IDPs, as well as providing food items to them, but these efforts have been explained by the IDPs as far from sufficient to help them continue with their lives. The IDPs argue that, first, not all or even a majority of the IDPs have been registered and issued cash cards and food items. Secondly, the relief work for the IDPs has not been up to the mark or satisfactory as was in the case of Malakand-Swat IDPs. Cutting Edge also learnt, on good authority, that certain unscrupulous non-local people, after immediately registering NGOs have got subcontracts from organizations like USAID and WFP to distribute relief among the IDPs.

However, instead of providing relief, the local subcontractors have got involved in large-scale misappropriation of funds and relief items. This process of misappropriation has been going on with the connivance of authorities. It may be mentioned that the international relief organizations have desisted from being directly involved in the relief activities for IDPs, because internal conflict does not come into their organizational purview and due to security fears. Therefore, they thought it appropriate to subcontract the relief work to local NGOs. But this has proved counterproductive and has added to the woes of the IDPs.

On the other hand, significant improvement has been witnessed in the law and order situation in the most troubled districts of Malakand division. However, according to sources, there is a huge mistrust and lack of confidence among the people of the troubled districts that whether the return of the peace and reinstatement of the government control is permanent or otherwise. The arising of such nagging questions in the minds of the residents of troubled regions, particularly of the IDPs, is not only natural but genuine also. Such questions are natural because these people have experienced the worst crisis of their lifetime.

Moreover, these people have seen more than once that despite government armed action against terrorists or the Taliban, the latter reemerged and retook control of Swat at least, if not of all of the Malakand region. The fresh outpouring of IDPs from the Khyber Agency has further complicated the problem of the dislocated people due to conflict in FATA, while the state is wanting in addressing their woes.

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