LG reps threaten to protest if Kurram roads not opened in 3 days

PARACHINAR: The people of violence-hit Kurram district are facing a host of problems due to the closure of link and main roads for the past 19 days.

“Millions of residents have been severely affected and virtually remained stranded for about three weeks, while 11 persons, including eight children, reportedly lost their lives due to lack of medical care,” sources in local hospital and district administration said on Wednesday.

Due to the closure of the Parachinar-Peshawar main highway, essential items like food, fuel and medicine have run out in Parachinar, Boshehra, and villages near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The Parachinar residents have been severely affected by the continuous 19-day closure of the Parachinar-Peshawar highway. Educational institutions in Parachinar have also been closed for the last three days. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis due to shortage of food, medicine and fuel.

The prolonged closure of the main highway has virtually disconnected the population of millions of people in the upper part of Kurram district from the rest of the country and the province, leading to various problems for the residents.

Mohammad Hayat Khan, chairman of the Private Education Network, said that all educational institutions in Parachinar were closed due to the shortage of petrol and diesel. He said that the students’ precious time was being wasted due to the closure of routes.

“Students are worried not only because of the closure of educational institutions, but also because they cannot travel outside Parachinar for interviews or reach educational institutions in other regions for classes,” he added.

The tehsil council in the upper part of Kurram district has announced that they would launch a protest movement if routes were not opened and secured within three days.

The council held an emergency meeting in Parachinar where chairman Agha Muzammil Hussain, speaker Javed Jan, and village chairmen expressed concern that the prolonged closure of the main highway had badly impacted all areas of upper Kurram due to the shortage of oil, food and medicines.

Meanwhile, student organisations in Parachinar have demanded the Higher Education Commission to hold the November 3 test in Parachinar instead of Peshawar, as hundreds of students may miss the test due to the road closure.

Addressing a joint press conference with student representatives, United Students Council president Tasawwur Hussain and other leaders Kashif Hussain and Mehdi Hussain said that hundreds of students from Parachinar had applied for the HEC test, but due to the continuous closure of the Parachinar-Peshawar main highway for 19 days, they would not be able to take the examination.

The clashes over land disputes have been a longstanding issue in the region, often resulting in loss of lives and disruptions to daily life.

Local elders and political figures have urged for a peaceful resolution to the conflicts and stressed the need for restoration of lasting peace in the region.