About 7,000 IDPs reach Swat in first phase

PESHAWAR: Nearly 7,000 individuals have reached two points in Swat district since the start of the return process on July 13. They arrived both by private and government-hired vehicles at Landaki and Gorati points on Monday and Tuesday, officials said.

People have to arrive at two more points of Kota and Barikot under the government-announced plan, but two officials nominated by the government and whose numbers were published in a newspaper advertisement could not be reached for comments to get the figures about the returning people.

In-charge at the government welcome point at Landaki Afzal Khan told The News by telephone that 290 families comprising 1,986 individuals had reached there on their own. Another 106 families with 723 individuals reached there by availing the government transport and other facilities on Tuesday, said Afzal Khan, adding that they were responsible for provision of water, lunch (cooked rice) and packed juices for children.

The official said medical facility was also made available at the Landaki welcome point for the returning people so that immediate first-aid could be provided in case of some medical problem with any of the IDPs. He said the returning people were sent to their respective villages and Mohallas from Landaki point and if needed, they were shifted to their houses in the same vehicles in which they arrived there.

The in-charge said a total of 215 families with 1,341 individuals had arrived there on Monday, the first day of the first phase of the return plan for the internally displaced persons (IDPs). A total of 2,500 people from different camps arrived at Gorati welcome point, another official on the spot Shah Wazir told The News by phone.

He said the people who arrived were in their private cars and trucks and others in the government-hired buses and trucks. He said around 1,000 individuals had arrived at Gorati area on Monday.

Figures of returning IDPs from two more points, Kota and Barikot, could not be obtained as the two responsible officials, Sultan Zeb and Farzand Ali, could not be reached for comments by phone.

Names and cellphone numbers of the four officials at Landaki, Kota, Gorati and Barikot had been mentioned in an advertisement by the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) to the print media for contacts.

Under the ERU plan for Swat IDPs, people from Mazdoor Abad camp Takhtbhai, Shaikh Shahzad camp Mardan, Sheikh Yasin camp Mardan, Jalala camp Takhtbhai, Shah Mansoor Swabi, Chota Lahor Swabi, Kund Park Swabi, Saleem Sugar Mills Charsadda, Palosa camp Charsadda, Familo camp Nowshera and Jalozai Nowshera have to return to Landaki, Kota, Gorati and Barikot in the first phase on Monday and Tuesday.