Pakistan Swat Valley Refugees Start Returning Home

The first convoy of buses carrying people from temporary camps began its journey on Monday. Photo by BGNES

The Pakistani government has started to return home some of the two million people displaced by the conflict in the Swat valley.

The first convoy of buses carrying people from temporary camps began its journey on Monday, the BBC reported.

The army reopened roads into the troubled district after an offensive to drive out Taliban militants there.

Some of the displaced have already returned. Correspondents say they are likely to rely on aid for many months.

The government has said its priority is to return those living in temporary camps.

Some 200 families housed in camps in the Nowshera district are set to return in this first phase. On Tuesday, 800 families are due to be sent back to Swat, officials say.

Some people were keen to return home because of the extreme heat they had to endure in the temporary camps, the BBC said.

However, other residents have expressed concerns about their return.

"I'm going back home voluntarily and nobody forced me to leave. But I'm really uncertain and don't know if peace has actually returned to my area", 50-year-old Shireenzada said.

The UN has stressed that the return of those displaced must be voluntary.