Haqqani urges continued international aid for IDPs

[Waqas 48]

WASHINGTON: Pakistan is pursuing a well-planned strategy to weed out militants from Malakand division and the international community must demonstrate a sustained commitment to help ease problems of displaced people, Islamabad’s envoy in Washington Husain Haqqani appealed on Thursday.

Ambassador Husain Haqqani told US media that about 1.5 million people have been displaced as a result of the counterinsurgency effort launched to rid of Taliban militants, who were troubling the residents in Swat valley and close by areas in the NWFP.

“We have an effective military strategy this time. We will not allow civilians to become human shields, so we have encouraged and asked the civilians to leave areas of fighting. It creates a problem of internally displaced persons. 1.4 million people (have been) displaced”.

“We are looking for international support for their relief, and we can rehabilitate them in a Taliban-free Swat and a Taliban-free North-West Frontier Province,” he stated.

The government, he said, would like those ordinary people who have been swept up in the Taliban movement in the villages to be able to resume a normal life.

“But all those who are engaged in terrorism will be fought and defeated.”

In answer to a question, he remarked ‘there is always potential for instability’ in the face of massive displacement of people.

“But if the internally displaced persons are looked after - hopefully there will be a greater flow of resources from the international community. Many NGOs, they will come in. And when they come in, they will be able to help these people get tide over for the moment, and it’s not very difficult for them to go back to their villages once the Taliban have been cleared out.”

On reports of some militant groups trying to reach out to the displaced people, Haqqani underlined that the important thing is to make sure that the aid effort from the secular international community and from Pakistan’s government outweighs the aid effort of such groups.