UK Pakistanis share nation's pain

By Peter Jackson
BBC News

Shrapnel damage left Naseer's sister in a coma for three months

The remote mountains of north-western Pakistan may be a long way from Britain's bustling streets, but the unfolding humanitarian crisis there is hitting home across the miles.

Saudi Arabia aside, the UK has the largest overseas Pakistani community and some have friends and family directly caught up in the region's bloody fighting.

In the tribal area of Waziristan, tens of thousands of civilians fled their homes this week as Pakistan's army continued to pound the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Ancestral roots

Meanwhile, in Swat valley - another north-western region - more than two million people have been displaced since the bombardments began last year.

For business student Naseer, 26, the last few days have been particularly emotional as his mother, father and two sisters returned to their empty, battle-scarred home in Kabal, Swat, for the first time in a year.

Naseer's bullet-ridden home in Kabal after fierce fighting

"I'm feeling for my family, very bad, they are in a critical situation. Anything could happen and anywhere. I wake up every day and worry for their safety," he said.

"They set five or six bombs around my home area, which the Pakistani forces cleared before. If they can do that thing they can do anything."

Speaking from his bedsit in Southall - a west London suburb where 55% of its 70,000 population are Indian or Pakistani - he said seeing refugees forced from their homes in Waziristan "hurts me the same".

He recalled friends in Kabal killed in the crossfire and said his sister Nasreen, 42, was still being treated for speech problems caused by brain damage when shrapnel hit her head and put her in a coma for three months.

This type of war takes you 60 or 70 years back, we are already a poor country. Mohammed Ayub

Further along Southall's Broadway, in Dalawar Chaudhry's family restaurant TKC, the Pakistani news channel ARY is reporting a suicide bomb blast at a university in Islamabad - a timely reminder of the dangers.

Mr Chaudhry, a well-known community figure whose staff have served visiting Pakistani prime ministers, said he was flying to the Waziristan region next week to see for himself how he could help.

"It's very, very sad, these are our countrymen, our brothers, our sisters, our children - this is coming from the heart," he said.

'Cowards'

"Being from the same country, race, faith, we're a family and as a result we're determined to make sure their standard of living is elevated."

Anger towards the West is increasing, says Dalawar Chaudhry

He said the region's "proud, hospitable and honourable" people were under attack from all sides.

The "cowardly" terrorists were using children and innocent people as shields, the army had killed more innocent civilians than terrorists and the "wicked" US drone attacks increased people's resentment, he added.

"People have got their heads in their hands at the moment, it's one calamity after another."

The Birmingham-based charity, Islamic Relief, said it would start allocating some of the £1m it had raised for people displaced from Swat to those from Waziristan.

'Self-sufficient'

The organisation is sending an assessment team to the region next week to establish the extent of the crisis ahead of any appeal.

About one million British citizens claim Pakistani heritage and the two countries are close and historic allies.

This is not only my blood relations, people living in Pakistan are like my family Zahida Abbas Noori

Southall councillor Zahida Abbas Noori said: "This is the kind of terrorism wave which is going to ruin the whole world, I condemn this, this should be stopped. The matter should be resolved by dialogue.

"I feel very sad and concerned. You're not aware if you go out whether you'll come back safe or not.

"This is not only my blood relations, people living in Pakistan are like my family because my roots are from Pakistan."

Mohammed Ayub, president of the Pakistan Welfare Association in Slough, Berkshire, agreed that the daily death toll of innocent people was affecting the entire community.

The 66-year-old, who came to Britain in 1963, told the BBC: "The situation is really, really bad, this is the worst I can remember… people are very upset.

"Deep down in their hearts they are very upset. This type of war takes you 60 or 70 years back, we are already a poor country.

Those dying are my brothers and sisters, says Asad Rehman

"After 9/11 we sent the armed forces to eliminate the terrorism but I think we spread it. We created more terrorists in Pakistan for sure."

The remoteness and self-sufficiency of people from South Waziristan has meant very few have travelled to settle in Britain.

Most migration from Pakistan to the UK began in the mid-1950s to fulfil a labour shortage. Many were from Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Then in the 1960s many immigrated from Punjab to the foundries in the Midlands and around Heathrow Airport.

Asad Rehman's entire family - including two sisters and three brothers - remain in Punjab. The 21-year-old works at a Southall greengrocers when he is not studying accountancy.

He said: "As a Pakistani this might be the worst time ever, I feel really bad. I can't believe that is my country.

"There were three suicide bombers on the same day last week, those dying are my brother and sister, it really hurts us."