A visiting Fulbright Scholar spoke to a crowd of roughly 60 on Friday about the struggles of civilians living in areas of Pakistan dominated by terrorist organizations.
After Sept. 11, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan became the focus of humanitarian groups and the U.S. military because the areas serve as a refuge for terrorist and militant groups, including the Taliban and al-Qaeda. FATA borders Afghanistan, and it is home to many tribes, including the Pukhtoons.
It is only the hospitality of the Pukhtoon that is keeping the people alive
said Altaf Ullah Khan, scholar from the University of Peshawar, Pakistan. In the long run this [violence] might lead to separate and hostile sentiment among the Pukhtoons and the break-up of Pakistan.
Khan described the hardships civilians face in the area and said the region was on the verge of disaster because of the displacement of millions of people seeking safe haven from the fighting between the Pakistani government and terrorist organizations.
Right now the focus is on food
water
health and hygiene
Khan said. These are considered to be the main problems for the Pakistani government
as well as for the U.N. agency that is trying to help with this problem.
As of now, the government does not have a plan to move its civilians to safety, he said. Although many are taking it upon themselves to move along certain routes, the government began to block these passages because of the increasing presence of the Taliban along the routes.
Since ongoing military operations started in FATA, development has slowed to a halt, Khan said.
Development is possible
but there is no clear-cut strategy
Khan said.
The only development options come from the United States, but the U.S. is not welcome in the tribal areas, Khan added.
Khan is spending a year at Ohio University researching FM radio station broadcasts and their potential to contribute to the development of FATA. He has also focused on the radio station content in the Northern Areas of Pakistan.
Khan's presentation was the last of four segments in the International Studies Forum for the Spring Quarter.
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