If the present is any guide, the country is in for a difficult task of rehabilitating the internally displaced of the Malakand region. Their rehabilitation is clearly a multibillion-rupees proposition. But given the international community's lukewarm response to the mitigation of this populace's distress, it is unrealistic to think if foreign assistance will be forthcoming in any big way for the gigantic task of its rehabilitation. All the government appeals for help in providing immediate relief and succour to these internally displaced have, so far, drawn only a big blank from the Muslim fraternity and the European community. The UN too has failed to mobilise international emergency humanitarian assistance any measurably.
From this, it appears that in all likelihood Pakistan will be on its own in rebuilding the shattered lives of these displaced. Not much should it expect reasonably from the international community on this score. It will predictably have to rely largely on its own resources to rehabilitate the displaced populace. And it will be insane on the government's part if it does not prepare for this contingency right now. It must borne in mind that the world opens up its coffers generously for the stricken in the event of natural calamities. But in the case of man-made catastrophes, it is often found very stingy; and selective too. In such eventualities, its responses are arguably determined largely by national geopolitical considerations and domestic sensitivities. When the erstwhile Soviet Union invaded and occupied Afghanistan, the entire "free world" rose up in unison to come to the aid of the Afghan refugees.
The western nations chipped in massively with cash and in kind to provide succour. And so did the Muslim fraternity by and large. The reason for their large-heartedness is not difficult to discern and comprehend. It was primarily for the west's ingrained enmity to the communist superpower that saw it loosening its purse-strings liberally for the Afghans, displaced by Moscow's naked adventurism. And it was the religious affinity with the alien-occupied fraternal people that drove the Muslim fraternity to rush with all kinds of assistance for their relief. And although certain western nations, prompted mainly by their own hatred of the Khartoum government, though egged on no lesser by their special interest groups and Christian charities, are providing humanitarian assistance for the displaced of Sudan's Darfur province, there is not much of international relief concern for them. There indeed are a huge lot of internally displaced people all over the world who are not drawing even a nodding notice of the international community, except the relief agencies and aid organisations, which is routine to them. Same seems to be the case so far with these displaced of Malakand. Some international aid agencies are at work for their relief and succour. The international governmental assistance is as yet largely conspicuous for its absence. So far, the relief effort is predominantly our own. Foreign aid commitments, if any, are still commitments, yet to be translated into actualities. And make no mistake about it, the rehabilitation will be almost wholly our own task, if the present indications are any guide.
At best, niggardly doles may flow in; not much will be on offer. In any case, these displaced are our own people. They are our own blood and flesh. And we have to care for them at any rate and in any event. And for that the administration has to be prepared and ready, for which the federal government has to shoulder all the responsibility. Leaving the job to the ANP-led Frontier government is simply asking for the trouble, so inefficient, so incompetent and so ineffective has it shown itself to be in handling just the relief effort for these displaced. Expecting it to tackle the enormously gigantic task of rehabilitating them is just asking for the moon. For a start, the federal government must task a team of experienced and expert senior officials to think out ways and means to mobilise the resources locally for this rehabilitation work and launch some innovative investment schemes to mop up the people's savings to this end as well. The team must prepare a feasible and pragmatic contingency plan to fund this huge work indigenously maximally. If by some quirk of miracle foreign assistance does pour in measurably for the task, well and good. If it doesn't, at least this contingency plan will be there to work on to provide a measure of help to the displaced to somewhat rebuild their shattered lives. We would warn the administration that the absence of such a plan altogether would lead up to such an enormous public discontent and grouse as it would fail utterly to pacify, to an unbearable grief to our national cohesion, stability and solidarity. Living in illusions, dreams and hopes, we tell the administration, is the fools' act. Wise men live in reality and act to realities. And that reality in the instant case is that we have largely to undertake the rehabilitation work of the displaced on our own and have to do it by ourselves.
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