PESHAWAR: The 195-kilometre bumpy road between Kohat and Parachinar passes through different small and big towns rich with natural vegetation, wild olive trees, lush green irrigated lands and orchards. Vendors sell tasty guava, juicy loquat; specialty of Kohat district and ‘gurgura’ (blackberry) along the main road.

The flora is mesmerising for the people travelling through the Kohat-Parachinar road, but local people seem dejected. There is uneasiness, one is intrigued.

The beautiful aspect of this ignored and under-developed terrain is its cultural diversity, where different dialects of Pashto with significant changes are spoken. People of different tribes are marked by their traditional hospitality. They are conservative by nature and religious minded, but liberal thoughts also prevail that keep balance and harmony in society.

However, as you talk to a number of local people about their uneasiness, many seem reluctant to talk about the causes. It is inviting more trouble, they say.

Despite having God’s plenty, the area has become suffocating. Security cordons, snap checking have changed the face of the area where years ago one could see spring festivals and business activity.

No doubt, in recent years situation has improved after security forces conducted surgical strikes to wipe out militants’ hideouts and to make the main road safe for passengers travelling between tribal areas and Peshawar.

The fear of militants has been replaced by fear of security forces at various checkpoints on the main highway. It takes almost seven hours to cover 195 kilometres distance. Passing through a small bazaar like Doaba, between Hangu and Thall, takes almost half an hour. Once a resting place for passengers travelling to and from Peshawar and down parts of the country now causes unrest due to long wait.

Once it was a peaceful town where a variety of traditional foods and green and black tea were offered to passengers. Drivers could stay for a night under the open sky. Now these small hotels have been shut down due to security reasons.

The Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, police and Levies force have set up security barriers for checking vehicles and passengers. Motorists have to wait in long queues at checkpoints for body search and identification. Personnel holding loaded guns are in state of high alert.

A signboard fixed at a checkpoint before entering Doaba town reads: “Warning: wait for your turn. Those violating law would be shot.” The rest of the checkpoints and security barriers being manned by the army, paramilitary forces and police don’t have signboards carrying instructions for visitors. A senior official in the home and tribal affairs department said that these signboards had been fixed as a deterrent. Shooting order is given to the law enforcement agencies in special circumstances i.e. during riots or in curfew. Kohat, Hangu and its adjacent areas have never been notified as conflict zones even when security forces were conducting several operations in the area. Lower division of Kurram Agency adjacent to Thall has been denotified as a conflict zone.

A slight mistake at checkpoints can put life of visitors at risk. Behaviour of the soldiers becomes more aggressive and disgraceful with travellers as they move forward towards Kurram valley. They virtually speak in the language of bullet.

About two weeks ago a local schoolteacher Mohammad Shabaan was shot dead while his fellow suffered injuries when army troops fired at a car in Alizai, lower Kurram.

Eyewitnesses and relatives claimed that two trucks of the army were parked in front of a workshop in Alizai for removing a mechanical fault. Soldiers signalled Shabaan to stop the car. He was about to stop the car when fire was opened killing him on the spot while another received injuries.

Shabaan’s relatives have demanded registration of a case against soldiers. The officials offered the victim’s family Rs2 million as compensation and suggested to register a case against unidentified persons instead of nominating soldiers.

Visitors always complain about maltreatment on the part of the security personnel. Some civilians are punished military-style. Recently a person was ordered at a checkpoint near Parachinar to pick up a plastic bag from the ground with teeth otherwise he would get severe punishment.

Harsh attitude is now creating hatred among civilian population against the security forces. Army and paramilitary forces are supposed to be used as a last resort, but in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata they have been given the job of policing which is tarnishing image of the army.