Another aid convoy reaches Kurram – Pakistan

Dawn Gis, Dawn Creative, Abdul Moiz Malik, Ismail Khan

KURRAM: A convoy of over seventy vehicles carrying essential supplies and medicines reached Kurram district on Friday, the local administration confirmed.

Roads leading to Kurram district remained closed for months after an attack on a convoy and subsequent clashes late last year.

The closure of roads for about four months created severe shortages of food and medical supplies in the area.

The Thall-Parachinar road, which is the only access route to the Upper Kurram, has witnessed multiple attacks on aid convoys in the Lower Kurram.

The convoy that arrived from Thall, Hangu, on Friday was the fifth since a government-brokered ceasefire agreement resulted in an uneasy calm in hostilities.

The vehicles were carrying fruits, vegetables, ghee, sugar, chicken, eggs and various other food items, an official said. Sunrise.

Assistant commissioner Afrasiab Zubair Hindal said several measures were being taken to provide relief to the public.

He said medicines and other essential items were also being delivered through the helicopter.

Those who needed immediate medical attention in the district were being transported to Peshawar and other cities, AC Zubair added.

Locals have demanded that the government immediately open the Thall-Parachinar road and Kharlachi border crossing with Afghanistan to ease the movement of people and supplies.

Local leader arrested

Meanwhile, locals continued their week-long sit-in in Mandori area of ​​Lower Kurram on Friday.

They have been protesting for an operation against criminals in the district, the destruction of bunkers and compensation for the more than 500 shops and houses that were destroyed in an attack after the November 21, 2024 attack.

Haji Karim, a local elder, said negotiations with civil and military officials to end the protest were scheduled today (Saturday) at the Chapri check post.

He said the peace agreement must be implemented in Letter and Spirit, which included the removal of bunkers, collection of weapons and operations against terrorist organizations.

The rehabilitation of the Bagan victims was the most important demand in the negotiation, Karim added.

Meanwhile, police also arrested Tehsil president Agha Muzammil Hussain on Friday morning in Parachinar, Upper Kurram, for holding a protest.

After his arrest, he was transferred to Lower Kurram, according to police sources.

An FIR was registered against Mr. Hussain on January 5 for violating Section 144 and holding a sit-in protest. Local representatives have expressed concern over the arrest and demanded his immediate release.

During a joint press conference at the parachute organization leaders, political, social, tribal and religious leaders condemned the arrest of Mr. Hussain, who was also the district president of Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen.

Students warn about protests

Meanwhile, students stuck in parachute and adjoining villages in Upper Kurram have warned of protests if roads are not opened immediately.

They claimed to have secured admissions into local and foreign educational institutions, but these were cancelled, as they had not yet joined the classes.

The students deplored that they risked losing an academic year and warned that if arrangements were not made to transport them to Peshawar within 24 hours, protests would begin.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Parachute, local student leaders Tasveer Hussain, Sajid Hussain, Ghayoor Hussain, Tahir Hussain and others said that hundreds of Parachute students and over a hundred villages in upper and lower Kurram have not been able to travel due to the road closure.

Published in Dawn, January 25, 2025



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