Adviser to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister for Information Mohammad Ali Saif on Monday said that as per the peace agreement, demolition of bunkers in Kurram district has begun.
On Sunday, the Kurram district commissioner said the process of demolition of bunkers in Lower Kurram was scheduled to begin.
On December 20, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa high committee decided to dismantle all bunkers in Kurram district in a bid to restore peace in the area, where weeks-long deadly tribal clashes resulted in law and order situation.
Decades-long land disputes have claimed more than 130 lives since November, and road blockades have led to food and medicine shortages. A peace agreement was signed on January 1, but the route connecting Parachinar remained blocked. On January 4, a government convoy was attacked near Bagan, injuring Kurram’s deputy commissioner and leaving the convoy stranded.
“Following the peace agreement on the instructions of KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, demolition of bunkers in Kurram district has started,” Barrister Saif said in a statement from his office today.
He added that security forces had demolished two bunkers “under the supervision of the grand peace jirga and local peace committees.”
“Jannat Khan Morcha (Khar Kalay) and Jalandhar Morcha (Balish Khel) were demolished today,” lawyer Saif specified.
Barrister Said added that Kohat commissioner Moatasim Ballah had “relied on the local population to demolish the bunkers. “In light of the higher committee’s decision and the peace agreement, the bunkers will be demolished,” he said.
“Destroying the bunkers is essential to achieving peace in the area,” Saif added.
Meanwhile, another 12 trucks carrying relief items arrived in Kurram district from Thall on Saturday, Deputy Commissioner Mannan Khan said. Seven trucks had reached Tari Mangal, four at Boshra and one at Ghozgarhy.
