Pakistani Tribesmen Repatriation Starts From Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jan, 2017 ) : The repatriation process of tribesmen of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) has started, who migrated to Afghanistan during the operation of Zarb-e-Azab.

An official source of Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) said that as many as 200 families of the Payi Khel and Muhammad Khel tribes started their journey back to home from Khost province in Afghanistan.

Some of these families have already crossed into Pakistan via the Ghulam Khan border in North Waziristan while the others are on their way, said an official of the FDMA. Due to the continued snow falling and harsh weather conditions of Afghanistan province Khost the returned tribesmen were facing difficulties.

Political agent of North Waziristan Kamran Afridi, Commissioner Bannu division Kamran Zeb, officials of the FDMA and security forces welcomed the returning tribesmen upon their arrival to Pakistani territory.

Sources said that the vehicles in which the tribesmen were being brought, were returned to Afghanistan while the political administration has arranged transportation for the displaced people for their onward movement to their respective hometowns.

Officials hoped that all the displaced families would return to Baka Khel IDPs camp in Bannu from the Ghulam Khan tehsil by Tuesday evening. According to official figures, about 9000 families from the North Waziristan agency had migrated to Afghanistan after the launch of the Operation Zarb-e-Azb by Pakistan Army against militants.