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Khyber Agency people’s suffering starts
October 28, 2011
For the past 10 years the people of northern tribal areas are battling militancy, adjusting to military offensive and migrating to other places. It’s been a bad fate of these people that they are living in an area that borders Pak-Afghan areas and have become focus of world attention. The people of these areas are most affected by the war on terror than any other part of the country. More than 700 million people of these areas lack basic necessities even in this modern era of 21 century.
On the other hand, it is an undeniable fact that tribal militants are behind the incidents of militancy and terrorism in the country. After incidents of terrorism the government comes under pressure to crack down on the militants. The situation after the launching of military offensive in these areas coupled with destruction is in front of the whole nation. Due to a handful of extremists the whole region comes under fire. Akakhel area has become a battleground between security forces, supported by a peace lashkar, and terrorists.
Akakhel is probably the first tribe in Bara sub-division where the local people have formed a peace lashkar against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorists to establish peace in the region. The volunteers of the peace lashkar have in principle decided not to disclose the name of their peace lashkar as a precautionary measure to protect their leader, a local media person said.
The latest example of such terror incident was when some unknown militants ambushed a convoy of the Frontier Corps in Khyber agency, triggering a bloody clash that killed 14 taliban militants and nine security personnel. A group of armed militants attacked the convey of Khyber Rifles near Akakhel check post in Bara Tehsil of Khyber Agency. Three security-men injured in the shootout. The security personnel were returning from a successful operation against a banned militant organization when their vehicle was attacked in Daro Adda. The area, where clash took place, is inhabited by the Akakhel tribe, a sub-clan of Afridis. Security sources said the attack was carried out by the banned militant group against whom they are conducting operations; however; no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
In another incident, Taliban killed four volunteers of a peace laskhar and a Frontier Constabulary solider at a security check post in Akakhel, Bara, on 18th Sept. Two vehicles of the lashkar were also destroyed in the attack. In retaliation, the security forces killed 10 terrorists and cordoned off the area to bust the suspected terrorists. It is to be recalled that on Saturday, the security forces demolished two houses of suspected terrorists in Akakhel area of Bara.
The powers of the political administration have come to zero in Bara sub-division after the security forces launched a military offensive more than two years. The security forces have kept Bara tribes under tight control with regular search and raid operations in addition to constant imposition of curfew that has crippled the life and business activities in the area, local political activists said. Local people are of the view that the security forces have an upper hand in the day but terrorists reign the region from dusk to dawn. Though a large number of extremists have been forced to leave the area and settle in the upper Tirah Valley, their fighters carry out subversive activities in the lower Bara, mostly at night.
If the temperament of extremists of Khyber Agency is reviewed, then it would be witnessed that the element of extremism is too much in them than in extremists of any other area. Brutal killing of political workers shows the mentality of terrorists.
Different groups are working against each other in the area as Lashkar-e-Islam (Mufti Munir group) and Insar-ul-Islam (Peer Saif group) have been fighting against each other for the last ten years. The rivalry between the two groups is badly affecting the development work in the area. The two rivals are freely using heavy weapons against each other as result several people have been killed. In the wake of increasing incidents of terrorism in the area, the military circles have started action against extremists in Khyber Agency.
It is pertinent to mention here that the common people have been directed to evacuate the area and shift to safe places. In this connection, migration of residents of the area remained continued on Saturday and Sunday. The migrants including women and children are approaching Peshawar. According to an official of provincial government, Adnan Khan, almost 300 migrant families have been taken refuge in Jalozai camp. Most of the migrants are being given tents and blankets without registration.
Adnan further told Pulse that the United Nation’s Food department had been contacted, while the department would provide food for the migrants. Operation against terrorists is afoot in Khyber Agency. On the other hand, the migrants are suffering from a lot of difficulties in camps due to the chilling cold. Increasing incidents of terrorism are badly affecting the common man. There is dire need to achieve target as soon as possible to save the common men from miseries.
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