Kurram residents stage sit-in against road closure

PARACHINAR: Residents of Kurram district on Saturday launched a sit-in protest in a bid to demand the reopening of closed roads and the provision of food and medicines to the stranded population.

The protest, held outside the Parachinar Press Club, was addressed by local tribal elders including Iqrar Tori, Mir Afzal Khan Samar Bangash, and Shafaat Hussain.

They stated that the closure of the main highway and the Afghan border for the past two and a half months had left the population of Parachinar in dire straits, with many on the verge of starvation.

Labourers also joined the sit-in, bringing their pushcarts to highlight their plight.

The protesters warned that if the roads were not immediately reopened and made safe, a major humanitarian crisis could unfold.

Meanwhile, the district administration cited security concerns as the reason for the closures, explaining that recent incidents of firing on passenger convoys and clashes had necessitated the blockade of roads in Kurram.

Meanwhile: The main road connecting Kurram to other districts has been closed for 73 consecutive days, causing severe hardships for residents due to the unavailability of essential supplies.

The road has remained blocked along with several routes, cutting off Upper Kurram from the rest of the country.

Approximately 400,000 residents of Upper Kurram have been stranded, facing shortage of food, medicine, fuel, LPG, and other necessities.

The prolonged closure has disrupted daily life in the area. Government and private educational institutions have been forced to shut down due to fuel shortages, and ATMs are non-functional as banks have run out of cash. Hotels, bakeries, vegetable stalls, and fruit shops have closed due to a lack of supplies.

According to border officials, no movement was taking place at the Kharlachi border crossing with Afghanistan.