PESHAWAR: The elders of Malakdinkhel tribe of Khyber Agency have expressed concerns over non-provision of non-food items to the former internally displaced persons of the tribe and warned to agitate if the demand is not fulfilled at the earliest.

Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, Haji Daud Khan said that of the seven tribes of Khyber Agency, only Malakdinkhel was deprived of the non-food items. The kits of non-food items, he said, comprised essential household stuff including blankets, tents andkitchenitems.Headded that each package cost up to Rs12,000.

Flanked by Haji Mughal Baaz, Haji Daulat Khan, Haji Shan Akbar, Mohammad Akbar, Lal Mast Khan and Ghairat Khan, he said that the IDPs returned to their areas in 2015 but the kits were not given to them.

`We are in constant contact with local political administration, FDMA and UNHCR officials. We are assured everywhere that we will get the kits soon but to no avail so far,` said Haji Daud Khan.

The tribal elder said that 17,800 people deserved to get the kits. He said that they were anxiously waiting for government`s response to implement the commitment it had made with them during repatriation of the IDPsin 2015.

He demanded of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra to help resolve the issue. He said that tribal people would hold protest if the governor f ailed to play his role in that regard. He said that tribal people suffered due to militancy and they were in dire need of support but rulers were not paying any attention to their problems.