KP government initiates Rs5.76bn relief payment to North Waziristan traders affected by military operation.

ovt's list for relief package to affected traders includes names of people who don't have a shop in the affected market

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has initiated the payment of more than Rs5.76 billion in total funds to traders affected by the military operations in North Waziristan after a period of five years.

According to reports, the military operation Zarb-e-Azb, launched in 2014, against terrorists in North Waziristan affected 6,969 traders of Miranshah Bazaar. According to estimates, traders of Miranshah Bazaar claim to have lost Rs21 billion due to the destruction caused to the market and trading goods.

The KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Pervez Sabatkhel said that the provincial cabinet had decided to compensate the traders for which a committee headed by provincial law minister Sultan Muhammad Khan was formed. The five-member committee includes the provincial finance minister, relief secretary and home secretary.

After negotiations with the traders committee and district administration, the KP provincial government released relief cheques to 200 traders on the first day, paying them a total of Rs5.76 billion. The committee formed by the district administration and the traders associations will distribute weekly relief checks to other traders after conducting inquiries.

KP Provincial Assembly Member Mir Kalam Wazir said that all business activities at...