On the Edge of Waziristan: How Families Can Reach an NGO in Tank

Tank is a small district on the dusty plain where the hills of South Waziristan meet the Daman lands west of the Indus. Its town has long been a market for tribes coming down from the mountains, and its villages grow wheat, gram and sugarcane where water from the Gomal and hill torrents allows. Life here has been shaped by conflict next door, by scarce water and by distance from big cities. A person typing NGO in Tank might need food, help with a debt, fees for a child, or advice about a family case.

Tank city and its villages are within the reach of Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO), yet not a single PHWO room or employee is based in the district. Its only office is in Larkana, Sindh, and people from Tank contact it online, through Message PHWO in a free PHWO account, or through volunteers. Nothing is charged. Each request is looked into, and support follows only when the need proves real and can be met. There is no guarantee of any outcome.

Tank's people: Pashto and Saraiki side by side

The 2023 Census counted 470,293 people in Tank District, on 2,900 square kilometres, with about 10 percent living in the town and an average household of 6.6 people (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Table 1). The district is unusual in its languages: about 83 percent speak Pashto at home, while roughly 16 percent speak Saraiki, reflecting its closeness to Dera Ismail Khan (PBS Table 11).

Gandapur, Bhittani and Marwat families live here alongside Saraiki-speaking communities and people with roots in the Waziristan hills.

Water, torrents and farming

Farming in Tank depends on water that is never certain. Some land is fed by canals from the Gomal Zam dam, but much of it relies on rod-kohi, the old system of catching flash floods from the hills with earthen bunds. When the torrents come at the right time, crops do well. When they fail, or arrive with too much force and break the bunds, a whole season can be lost.

Families who lose a harvest usually borrow for flour and seed. If your household is in that position, explain it in Request help: what you farm, what was lost and what you owe. Flour and loan repayment come up again and again in requests.

Living next to a conflict zone

Years of unrest in neighbouring Waziristan have affected Tank deeply. Trade with the hills slowed, some businesses closed, and families from the tribal areas have at times moved into the district for safety. Many households in Tank today include people who lost property or relatives elsewhere, or who rent homes without land of their own.

PHWO stays clear of politics and sects, and it asks about your background only as far as needed to confirm the facts. Anyone living in Tank can apply in the same way. You can ask about medical bills, rent, school and college fees and small debts, as well as ration.

Applying to an NGO in Tank step by step

1. Open the Request help form or message PHWO from your free PHWO account.
2. Explain your situation in Pashto, Saraiki or Urdu; all are fine.
3. Add a live photo of yourself and any documents you have that show your need.
4. Tell us plainly who lives in the house and what income comes in.
5. Keep your phone on in case a volunteer calls.

Please note that nobody may charge you money for applying. All services are free.

Education and skills for young people in Tank

Young people in Tank often travel to Dera Ismail Khan for college or university. Transport, fees and books are hard for poor families to cover, and a student without a laptop or smartphone falls behind quickly. Tank students often say that a basic laptop would change everything.

Attach proof of enrolment if you are asking for fees or a device. Training in trades and computer skills, for young women as well as men, is listed under Programmes.

Free legal aid for cases in Tank

Tank’s own sessions and family courts hear local cases; appeals travel to the high court bench in Dera Ismail Khan. Common issues include land and water disputes, inheritance, dower, maintenance and custody.

Send your file to Free legal aid; a volunteer lawyer will study it and reply with the options. There is no need to register an FIR first. A custody fight or an early court date gets attention first. PHWO cannot promise that a volunteer will appear in court for you. The Tank district bar can also help point poor litigants to counsel.

Public services in Tank

• District Headquarters Hospital Tank; complex cases are often referred to Dera Ismail Khan.
• Rescue 1122 for emergencies and 15 for police.
• BISP: Tank women can confirm eligibility with an 8171 SMS; more on bisp.gov.pk.
• Tank’s zakat committee for government zakat to deserving people.
• Provincial services online at kp.gov.pk.

Supporting families in Tank

Tank people earning in Karachi, Islamabad or the Gulf may Donate or pick one checked family through Sponsor a case. Zakat and Sadaqah through PHWO go in full to people in need. Lawyers from Tank and D.I. Khan, and anyone overseas who can raise money, are welcome as a Volunteer; they are given a certificate, a letter of appreciation and an experience letter.

Public services in Tank you can also use

• District and Sessions Courts TankFamily, civil and criminal cases
• District Bar Association TankReferral to advocates
• Peshawar High Court, D.I. Khan BenchAppeals
• District Headquarters Hospital TankGovernment hospital
• Rescue 1122Dial 1122
• PoliceDial 15
• BISP office TankSMS CNIC to 8171
• District Zakat Committee TankGovernment zakat

These are public or independent services, listed to help you. They are not part of PHWO.

Frequently asked questions