Background
Orakzai Agency is one of the agencies of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and is spread over an area of 1,538 square kilometres. It is bounded by Kurram Agency in the west and Khyber in the north, Kohat district in the south and Peshawar in the east. Orakzai Agency is a mountainous tract dissected by numerous dry water courses especially in the south western part of the agency. It was made an agency in 1973 by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The capital of Orakzai Agency is Kalaia Town. The Orakzai are the main tribe with four other major non Orakzai tribes including the Ali Khel, the Mullah Khel, the Mishti and the Shaikhan.
However, these tribes have been assimilated into the Orakzai culture and are considered to be Orakzais. Total population of the area is estimated to be 530,000.
Orakzai is the only tribal agency which has no direct borders with Afghanistan. Yet, a variety of militancy exists in the agency. Apart from the local sectarian violence, TTP (Tehrik-i-Tulaba Movement (TTM)) and TNSM (Tehreek-e-Nafaz-eShariat-e-Mohammadi) have their bases in the agency. According to reports and analysis sectarian conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslims exists in Orakzai Agency but its intensity is comparatively lower than Kurram Agency. The agency was once a safe haven for the TTP ex-chief, Hakimullah Mehsud, who launched hundreds of attacks on NATO supply vehicles from the agency.
Security forces launched an operation against militants in Orakzai Agency in April 2010. The initial targeted areas were Andkhel, Utman Khel, Baizoot and Feroz Khel areas of lower Orakzai division.
These areas lie in the north of lower Orakzai and borders Khyber Agency. The forces cleared these parts from militants, many of whom fled to the adjacent Khyber Agency’s Tirah valley and central Kurram of Kurram Agency from where they continued attacks on the military.
The overall security situation in the agency has remained relatively stable and most of the area has been cleared of militants as the operation in the region continues. One of the challenges to return was the landmines and improvised explosives devices planted by the militants in upper parts of Orakzai.
Methodology
As part of the returns planning matrix, the protection cluster was asked by the Return Task Force (RTF) on 2 September 2015, to conduct a Return Intention Survey (RIS) for families returning from Togh Sarai IDP camp to 54 de-notified villages in Orakzai
Responding to this request, and in line with the Return Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) endorsed by the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in February 2012, but also in accordance with the “Return Policy Framework for IDP from FATA” signed by FDMA in 2010 (Annex A), the Protection Cluster and its members agreed to conduct a series of consultations with the displaced population to capture their intentions and position vis-à-vis the announced return process.
It should be understood that the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement are clear on a government’s responsibility to respond to the needs of IDPs during displacement and in displacement until attaining durable solutions, including sustainable returns. However, a government may request assistance from the humanitarian community to assist and facilitate returns.
From 8 – 11 September 2015, enumerators from protection cluster member EHSAR interviewed 252 IDPs in Togh Sarai camp, Hangu District. Total population of returning IDPs from Togh Sarai to Orakzai is 726 families. From this population a representative sample of 252 was chosen which would provide results within 5% margin of error and 95% confidence level. Out of the 252 people interviewed, 98 were female (39%) and 154 male (61%).