Peshawar: A convoy of over 70 vehicles carrying food, medicines, and other essential items has reached the conflict-affected Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This is the fifth convoy dispatched from Thall and Hangu to Kurram following a peace agreement facilitated by the government. An official stated that the vehicles carried fruits, vegetables, cooking oil, sugar, poultry, eggs, and other essential supplies.
Assistant Commissioner Afrasyab Zubair Hindal said steps are being taken to provide relief to the public, including the delivery of medicines and other necessities via helicopters. He also mentioned that patients requiring urgent medical attention are being transported to Peshawar and other cities.
Meanwhile, local residents have urged the government to immediately reopen the Thall-Parachinar Highway and the Kharlachi border crossing with Afghanistan to facilitate the movement of people and essential goods.
While protests continue in Lower Kurram's Mandori area, where locals have been staging sit-ins for several days. The protesters demand military operations against militants, demolition of bunkers, confiscation of weapons, and action against terrorist organizations. They also seek compensation for the reconstruction of over 500 shops and homes destroyed in an attack on November 21, 2024.
Local sources told Human Online that the residents of Lower Kurram's Bagan area have suffered significant loss of life and property. The affected individuals are calling on the government to compensate for the financial damages and ensure justice for the loss of lives.
On the other hand, police recently arrested Agha Muzammil Hussain, the Upper Kurram Tehsil Chairman, during a protest. According to police sources, he was transferred to Lower Kurram following his arrest. An FIR was registered against him on January 5 for violating Section 144 and staging a protest. Local representatives have expressed concerns over his arrest, calling for his immediate release.
In a joint press conference in Parachinar, political, social, tribal, and religious organizations condemned the arrest of Agha Muzammil Hussain, who is also the district president of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM).
Students stranded in Parachinar and Upper Kurram villages have also threatened protests if roads are not reopened immediately. They claim that the closures have disrupted their education, leading to the cancellation of admissions at local and international institutions.
Student leaders, including Tasveer Hussain, Sajid Hussain, Ghiyur Hussain and Tahir Hussain, stated that hundreds of students are unable to travel due to road blockages, jeopardizing their academic year. They warned that if they are not transferred to Peshawar within 24 hours, they will initiate demonstrations.
