Loyalty undertaking rankles IDPs returning to Waziristan - Pakistan

[Samandri]

@Samandri There are difficulties in Datta khel because Awam of datta khel and Razmak refused to evacuate their areas. So when army conduct Ops cautiously in datta khel, people criticize, If they bomb indiscriminately they criticize.

I was under the impression that PAF has wonderful ability of precise air strikes on populations, so there should be no excuse for Datta Khel case. So what if awaam of Datta Khel didnt evacuate their homes? Pak army still carried out air strikes, artillery shelling there, as well as drones........ Judging from the current scenario, it seems fearless wazirs of Datta Khel made the wise decision, they minimized their material losses and escaped the humiliation of being IDP in tents, begging for food, standing in line and getting kicks and sticks etc, signing agreement is not that big shock for them......But the ones who got stained, the IDPs, will return with their houses razed to the ground or severely damaged, will not be compensated and on top of that they had to prove their loyalty.

Pakistan is threatening them that their Citizenship can be cancelled and properties/lands confiscated, as there is concept of collective punishment in FCR so the threat is for lacs of tribals.....This Military establishment has grown balls with brain going down the drain, never in the entire history any state or empire has issued such threat to the tribes of this region. Canceling citizenship of the tribes and displacing them from their ancestral lands on violation of agreement?.......where they will go?, to Afghanistan?..........

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Where the heart is: IDPs hesitant over return amid controversial ‘social agreement’


BANNU / PESHAWAR:
As residents of North Waziristan make their way home today, it is under the heavy shadow of a set of draconian conditions set by the political administration. In fact, for some of them, the only thing standing in their way home is actually signing off on Samaji Mohada NWA 2015, the eight-page ‘social agreement’ that some feel not only questions their loyalty, but effectively further enforces the oppressive Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR).

The political administration completed the registration process to repatriate dwellers of three villages of Spinwam. The process will begin from March 31 (today). Around 1,270 families have been registered for repatriation so far. Sources said the returning IDPs were still uncertain over their return. They added around 100 families would return home on March 31 from the IDP camp in Bakakhel.

In addition to the FCR, the social agreement lays out more conditions which must be fulfilled. While it says there will be no restriction over social, religious, political and economic activity, it adds that natives of the region will have to remain loyal to the country in accordance with the FCR and Constitution of Pakistan. It goes so far as to withdraw the right to compensation if the government takes action in areas where tribes fail to act against militants.

In addition, several actions on part of the tribespeople can result in the retraction of tribal privileges, cancellation of NICs, passports and other official documents, the confiscation of property and even the banishment of the person and the destruction of their property.

For all intents and purposes, signing the eight-page document would make locals responsible for maintaining peace in the tribal agency. It asked tribespeople to ensure that nobody provides shelter to anti-state elements, militants and other criminals, adding that the political administration must be informed about the presence of such individuals. It also bars them from keeping heavy arms at home.

Signing off

According to a document available with THe Express Tribune, the political administration and the Wazir, Dawar, Sidgai and Kharseen subtribes of the Utmanzai tribe came to an agreement.

According to the agreement, the various responsibilities will apply to returning tribesmen as well as those already living in Dattakhel and Razmak subdivisions as well as other areas of Spinwam.

Tribal elders had already expressed their reservations over the social agreement which was issued by NWA Political Agent Atifur Rehman and distributed in Razmak subdivision, Dattakhel and to displaced people in Bannu. The tribes have asked for a meeting with authorities as they have reservations over the agreement.

All in favour…

The people in Razmak questioned how the Utmanzai Grand Jirga could reach an agreement without taking them into confidence. However, the jirga remained unaware of the agreement until tribesmen came forward with their reservations. Tribal maliks in Dattakhel, who were not displaced by Zarb-e-Azb, signed the agreement in the presence of the NWA political agent and security forces officials. The elders who signed the agreement included Malik Mushtaq, Malik Roshad, Sobidar Ahmad Gul, Malik Fazal Janan and several others. They vowed to remain loyal and fulfill their responsibilities of maintaining peace in the region. However, the Utmanzai tribes were not convinced and elders of displaced people in Bannu also had reservations.

Malik Khan Marjan, an elder of the Grand Jirga and an IDP, questioned whether the agreement was between two or more groups or imposed by one on the other. He questioned when and where the four tribes agreed over the eight-page document with the political administration.

He urged the government to convene a jirga of North Waziristan elders over the repatriation process. Marjan said certain tribal elders would find it difficult to reach an agreement over the document unless they sat with the government on their own.

Another tribal elder, requesting anonymity, said security forces should start the repatriation process once they are certain peace has been restored in the area. He said if locals were capable of keeping the agency tranquil, they would not have left in the first place. Several attempts were made to contact political administration officials to discuss the concerns of IDPs, but they remained unavailable. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff will also reportedly come to Bannu to bid farewell to the displaced people. (With additional input from NasruMinallah)

http://tribune.com.pk/story/861408/...r-return-amid-controversial-social-agreement/

 

[Orakzai]

Their loyalty is definitely under question for giving sanctuary to terrorist for so long who even they knew were involved in terrorism across the country.

and who brought them terrorists in the first place to the tribal areas to fight USSR??
yeah right our own government to get trained and be used against USSR. our lands were made training grounds for them who were flocking from every part of the world. do you ever blame government for that?

I would have deported all IDPs back to Afghanistan.

what a retard.

Then they should be Introduced to the Concept of Modern form of Governance so that they can serve their Zameen better. This Tribal ways can be good in Resolving intertribal problems but it lacks a development and Institutionalization to the large extent.

and who are going to introduce it?? our freaking government. has there been any sincere efforts taken for the development of this region in last 60 years???

 

[Orakzai]

Scrap the colonial laws.
Bring economic development.
Disarm local warlords.
Strengthen the borders.
Bring education and job prospects to the youth of the area.

I love the tribals. Azad Kashmir will never forget how they came to our aid during the war of liberation.

and finally someone sensible and logical.

What were they expecting after running a terror economy for decades now and collaborating with the terrorists for so long? Why is it then so surprising or unexpected to get treatment like this from the Govt? They aren't considered loyal anymore due to a reason and it isn't some propaganda The stone ages are over, welcome to the civilized world. Maybe, they should have realized that religion infused extremism and subsequent terrorism cant possibly continue forever.

“There was an ‘IED Bazaar’ where you could buy anything from a suicide-bomb jacket with 50 kilos of explosives to a VBIED [vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, or car bomb],” says Khattak. “You could, from a good dealer, even pick the type of colour you wanted for the vehicle that was to be your 2,000 pound car bomb”.
The security officer, Lt. Colonel Jawad Bajwa of the 54 Baloch Regiment, sorts it out: “They gave us quite a fire-fight here,” he says. “They took over the cashier’s office and pounded rockets at us from there. It took most of the night to take care of them. They’re tough, the Ubzeks. And they ran this city, with a lot of local support.”

“Do not be mistaken, there was some, but very negligible, collateral damage,” explains Brigadier Abbasi. “But everybody, good and bad, took advantage of the exit routes we allowed. Our intercepts tell us that many Tangos are now in the TDP [temporarily displaced persons] camps in Bannu. Our intel shows us mounds of hair they cut and shaved to fit in with the locals during the movement. There were loopholes, and they took advantage of them...And the locals let them.”

All happening with the consent of the locals. Wonderful and these people wonder why they are being asked to sign a loyalty agreement now!

people like you make me puke.

 

[Gazi]

and who are going to introduce it?? our freaking government. has there been any sincere efforts taken for the development of this region in last 60 years???

It works both ways as Tribal Chiefs were also against Interference of Pakistan Govt. since very beginning that is why they were given Autonomy on the first place.

 

[Mrc]

These people nees to be dealt with firmly but fairly..
They very well knew what they were doing when they rented out their houses to terrorists for few hundred dollars..
They need to be told as politely as possible that if they do it again they will not be allowed to return to their homes 2nd time

 

[Orakzai]

It works both ways as Tribal Chiefs were also against Interference of Pakistan Govt. since very beginning that is why they were given Autonomy on the first place.

yeah but you can't just simply ignore the whole region for that long can you??
if the governments were serious about bringing them under control they could have taken baby steps in that direction and i can assure you that 60 years is a bloody long time they would have long been able to annexed tribal areas with KPK or be made a separate province. but they were ignored completely ignored for all this time not a penny was spent on their development. Even colonies are treated better then the way Tribal areas were treated go read about FCR law a little bit which is still imposed on us.

 

[Gazi]

yeah but you can't just simply ignore the whole region for that long can you??
if the governments were serious about bringing them under control they could have taken baby steps in that direction and i can assure you that 60 years is a bloody long time they would have long been able to annexed tribal areas with KPK or be made a separate province. but they were ignored completely ignored for all this time not a penny was spent on their development. Even colonies are treated better then the way Tribal areas were treated go read about FCR law a little bit which is still imposed on us.

The problem Pakistan Faced in Tribal Areas have always been about Afghan Interventions in the past and the reason why Pakistan didnt push for Annexing the territory was because their was always Danger that people living in Tribal Areas would resist and may go to the extent of Partnering with Afghanistan against Pakistan. These Areas have always been Quite Sensitive and Pakistan have always kept Status Quo just to Avoid Flaring any Internal Conflict.

I am a big Supporter of FATA being Declared a separate Province as well as GB should be given Province like Status in Pakistan. I can understand your Concern about FCR as another Paramilitary Force Rangers are given free hand in my City as well but I also understand that they are needed as well because their is high Possibility that those Terrorists that ran to Afghanistan would Return back especially The Killing Season(Summer Warfare) is approaching and threats are actually there.

 

[Orakzai]

The problem Pakistan Faced in Tribal Areas have always been about Afghan Interventions in the past and the reason why Pakistan didnt push for Annexing the territory was because their was always Danger that people living in Tribal Areas would resist and may go to the extent of Partnering with Afghanistan against Pakistan. These Areas have always been Quite Sensitive and Pakistan have always kept Status Quo just to Avoid Flaring any Internal Conflict.

I am a big Supporter of FATA being Declared a separate Province as well as GB should be given Province like Status in Pakistan. I can understand your Concern about FCR as another Paramilitary Force Rangers are given free hand in my City as well but I also understand that they are needed as well because their is high Possibility that those Terrorists that ran to Afghanistan would Return back especially The Killing Season(Summer Warfare) is approaching and threats are actually there.

i agree to almost all the things you have spoken about and second your thoughts on it.
but what i am saying is that no matter how close tribals were to Afghanistan if our government considered them Pakistanis then they should have done some sort of development on gradual basis or have had revised a long term development plan for them or something to bring them under control. that is why i talked about the baby steps through which sudden disturbance in the tribal system can be avoided as well as won't see much anger from Afghans either. All these issues of presence of terrorists are the backlash of neglecting them and using them for the state when needed and when not needed then completely ignored.

 

[Gazi]

i agree to almost all the things you have spoken about and second your thoughts on it.
but what i am saying is that no matter how close tribals were to Afghanistan if our government considered them Pakistanis then they should have done some sort of development on gradual basis or have had revised a long term development plan for them or something to bring them under control. that is why i talked about the baby steps through which sudden disturbance in the tribal system can be avoided as well as won't see much anger from Afghans either. All these issues of presence of terrorists are the backlash of neglecting them and using them for the state when needed and when not needed then completely ignored.

Of Course they should and if they started doing that earlier then this whole TTP mess would have been Avoided to the large extent. Pakistan has lots of examples of such Neglects that those people of FATA have been through and if now they dont wakeup and started making progress then this whole region would remain in mess in future as well. I must also point out that There wasnt a voice came from Tribal Areas as well for Accommodation in Mainstream which was another reason for delay as people over there might have been Comfortable with Tribal System and thought they dont need a Government system at that moment and now a days when Tribal Areas are demanding Province related Status so that they could be accommodated in Mainstream it should be Taken seriously as we cant afford to repeat our Past Mistakes right now.

 

[In arduis fidelis]

The tribals have been fighting TTP on their own by forming Lashkars. And they were the only thin line of defence which was allowed to go to waste by the inactive establishment. Why not to question the loyalty of the establishment who created TTP in the first place?

Same way i personally know of examples where whole villages came out in support of taliban against the army,so you cannot blame any one side on this.Both are equally responsible and if state has decided to give up on these TTP scum so should the tribals.

 

[Orakzai]

Of Course they should and if they started doing that earlier then this whole TTP mess would have been Avoided to the large extent. Pakistan has lots of examples of such Neglects that those people of FATA have been through and if now they dont wakeup and started making progress then this whole region would remain in mess in future as well. I must also point out that There wasnt a voice came from Tribal Areas as well for Accommodation in Mainstream which was another reason for delay as people over there might have been Comfortable with Tribal System and thought they dont need a Government system at that moment and now a days when Tribal Areas are demanding Province related Status so that they could be accommodated in Mainstream it should be Taken seriously as we cant afford to repeat our Past Mistakes right now.

true true i think when Zarb-e-azab and Khayber operation is finished that would be a perfect time to do it. the whole tribal region would cleansed from terrorists, proper work should be started to have a system in-placed for the creation of a new Province or even annexed with KPK coz people of KPK want FATA to be annexed with the state.

Same way i personally know of examples where whole villages came out in support of taliban against the army,so you cannot blame any one side on this.Both are equally responsible and if state has decided to give up on these TTP scum so should the tribals.

which village where?

 

[farhan_9909]

i have met many of them in person and can confirm that atleast 50% of the IDP's now plans living in Bannu permanently or will atleast not leave for the next 1-2 years.

infact many of them have already bought land in bannu and are constructing houses.

 

[SBD-3]

I think documents are simple. You will not allow terrorists to roam free, become active members of their terror network and kidnappings. Otherwise next time we will bomb you without any compensation. This is what it means right?

But asking a person to sign an instrument of loyalty is just like treating him in the spirit of traitor. These families have endured the hardships clearing the way for army. This is just like treating tribals like bengalis

 

[gangsta_rap]

This is pretty disturbing. If the intention is to integrate tribals further it'll backfire instead.

Who came up with this? Samandari was blaming the establishment but I don't think that's acceptable.

 

[In arduis fidelis]

which village where?

Sorry village name cannot be quoted because of authorization issue but SSG company cleared the said village and after giving clearance just as they were about to leave they were ambushed by the some women and teenagers from behind resulting in considerable casualties.Now how do you expect soilders from that unit or army as a whole to trust the next village?