PESHAWAR: Hundreds of internally displaced persons from different areas of North Waziristan Agency staged a demonstration here on Tuesday against suspension of cash grants.

The protesters, who came from Bannu and other areas, assembled in front of the main office of Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) and set up a camp. They were chanting slogans against the government and FDMA.

The protesters said the authority had stopped payment of cash assistant of Rs12,500 to some 2,500 displaced families who belonged to Miramshah, Mirali and surrounding villages.

They said payment of cash assistance had been stopped for last four months. They said they would continue demonstrations until the authority released cash amounts.

The IDPs dispersed after getting assurance from the officials that payment would be made within three days.

The federal government had announced to pay Rs12,500 cash assistance to each family from North Waziristan Agency. More than one million civilians were displaced from the area when military launched operation Zarb-i-Azb in June 2014.

Return of the IDPs to different areas of North Waziristan is in progress and more than 40,000 families have so far gone back to their homes.-Bureau Report