BANNU - Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf FATA chapter leader Dost Muhammad Khan has made an appeal to the Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to lift blockade of the Razmak-Miranshah and Makin-Jandola roads in order to allow nearly 50,000 Mehsud tribesmen to shift to safer places as they got trapped in Shaktoi Valley due to the operation Zarb-e-Azab against militants in North Waziristan.
Shakotoi Valley is located at the junction of North and South Waziristan agencies. He said the valley is completely cut off from outside world and great humanitarian disaster is unfolding as trapped people have run out of food commodities. "The worst affected are children and pregnant women who are dying of malnourishment and access to medical care and hospitals as all roads leading to Tank blockade," he added. Shaktoi Valley comprises different areas like Kruchkhel, Trikhtali, Sarkhware Samal and Bobar.
He suggested that army check posts be established at all exit pointers to register these 50,000 people who are dying of hunger and malnourishment. He suggested that ration should be dropped through helicopters to the besieged people of Shaktoi Valley of South Waziristan.
PTA, NADRA CHAIRMEN
VISIT IDPS' CAMPS
Staff Reporter from Islamabad adds: To supplement the government's efforts in hassle-free distribution of aid to the North Waziristan Agency (NWA) IDPs, Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Syed Ismail Shah along with Chairman NADRA Imtiaz Tajwar visited IDPs' camps in Bannu on Friday.
Senior officers of PTA, NADRA and cellular operator Zong (China Mobile) accompanied them. During the visit, the chairmen PTA and NADRA observed NADRA registration process for distribution of money through SIMs of Zong. The chairman PTA directed the officials of Zong to further improve their system and asked to increase SIM distribution points for the facilitation of people in camps.
The chairman PTA was briefed by the Zong officials about the procedure being followed to disburse money through its SIMs.
They informed the chairman that they have increased the staff and made available sufficient SIMs in view of large number of IDPs.
It may be recalled that Zong has signed an agreement with FATA Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) and it is offering free SIMs to IDPs for seeking speedy relief in transparent manner.