55,000 displaced in Bajaur as Pakistan forces target TTP, curfew traps thousands

India Today

2 days ago

Around 55,000 people have been displaced from Pakistan's Bajaur tribal district after security forces launched a large-scale offensive against militants, a provincial lawmaker told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly on Monday, warning that hundreds of thousands more remain trapped under curfew.'Almost the entire population is literally hostage to the curfew, which halted their migration,' said Awami National Party legislator Nisar Baz, calling it 'astonishing' that the government had imposed movement restrictions at a time when residents were trying to flee to safety.advertisementPakistani forces began the three-day 'targeted operation' in Bajaur on Monday, focusing on Lowi Mamund and War Mamund tehsils — a former stronghold of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) bordering Afghanistan — after peace talks with militant commanders collapsed last week.
The provincial Home Department said movement restrictions in about 27 areas would last from 12 hours to as long as 72 hours. Locals were ordered to vacate by the district administration, and several families left ahead of the crackdown, while others took shelter in government-run camps.Baz said the curfew had left nearly 400,000 people 'hostage' inside their homes, with many unable to reach safe areas due to a shortage of transport. 'Some have been forced to spend nights in tents or public buildings,' he told the assembly, adding that neither the provincial nor the federal government had made arrangements to meet the needs of the displaced.Authorities, however, insisted families had been moved to safer areas and given food and shelter. Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Tribal Areas Mubarak Khan Zaib told lawmakers, 'Affected families are not being left alone,' adding that schools were being used as temporary shelters.According to the district administration, 107 educational institutions, mostly in Khar tehsil, have been designated as relief camps for displaced residents.The offensive, dubbed 'Operation Sarbakaf,' was first launched on July 29 but paused a day later as a jirga-led dialogue appeared to make headway. Those talks — aimed at relocating militants to Afghanistan — broke down Friday evening after multiple rounds failed to resolve key issues, according to Dawn newspaper.- EndsWith inputs from PTI