Beyond return and resettlement: The impact of exposure and interactions on the post-conflict development of North Waziristan

Abstract

Abstract This article shares empirical data about the returned and resettled natives and communities of North Waziristan Tribal District in Pakistan, which are undergoing the processes of post-conflict reconstruction and development. In order to present an analysis of the impact of prolonged conflict-induced displacement on the spatially excluded (or bounded) communities of North Waziristan, an inductive approach utilising qualitative methods and semi-structured interviews has been adopted to establish detailed accounts of the ‘networks of interactions’ and ‘displacement-induced exposure’. The findings further suggest that these interactions and networks are transcending and redefining the margins (viz. material space), and the social space of North Waziristan since the natives have expressed growing inclinations towards movement in mainstream Pakistan. The aforementioned arguments establish new perspectives—admittedly controversial—where prolonged conflict-induced displacement has attributed to unintended ‘development’ for spatially excluded communities. Essentially, this article argues that the subject of displacement and post-conflict societies deserves further scrutiny beyond resettlement and return.