As per the announcement by the District Commissioner Lower Kurram, it will start demolishing the bunkers today. Peace has descended on the area after January 1, when the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa apex committee decided on December 20 to dismantle all the bunkers in Kurram District.
The clash, which has continued for a few weeks over land disputes, has claimed about 130 lives so far since November and is now creating a major shortage of essential supplies like food and medicines owing to blockades along roads. The route, which connects Parachinar with the remaining parts of the province, is still blocked despite an agreement of peace.
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On January 4, a government convoy was intercepted and attacked near the Bagan area, which injured the deputy commissioner of Kurram. The convoy has since been stranded. Then, on January 8, a convoy laden with food and necessities to Kurram was sent after stalling five days in Thall.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has asked for immediate intervention from the federal government and armed forces to restore stability. He blamed the unrest in the area on the ‘failure’ of the PTI-led government and attributed the rising crisis to the same cause.
“There are bunkers and highly sophisticated weapons that our police cannot handle. Quite frankly, the peace deal has not brought in any kind of significant results due to the lack of support from the government,” he said.
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A letter issued by Kurram District Commissioner Ashfaq Khan urged the Communication and Works Department of Upper and Lower/Central Kurram to ensure their presence with 10 workers and tools at the sites identified. As per the peace deal, the bunkers will be demolished by February 1, and weapons used during the clashes will be collected.
Seven trucks with relief items reached Tari Mangal, 4 to Boshra, and one to Ghozgarhy. As stated by Dr. Syed Mir Hassan Khan, Medical Superintendent of District Headquarters Hospital Parachinar, the medical stores have exhausted their stock of medicines, and about 2300-2500 patients are serviced daily in the hospital.
Necessary drugs are not available, says the President of the Medical Union Iqbal Hussain, and in the past days, none of the humanitarian convoys brought medicines.