• Convoy laden with essentials stranded in Thall after attack on DC
• Three held for attack; as many elders detained for spurning peace accord

KURRAM: The people of Parachinar spent another day waiting for the relief convoy — currently stalled in Thall, on the border of Kurram district — as talks between the government and protesters to ensure safe passage for the vehicles remained inconclusive.

After months of violence that killed more than 130 people, a peace agreement was signed between the warring sides on Jan 1. But despite a lull in fighting, the route connecting Parachinar with the rest of the province remains blocked.

On Saturday, a government convoy came under attack near the Bagan area, in which the deputy commissioner of Kurram also sustained injuries. Since then, the convoy has been stranded.

In response to the attack, the government rounded up three suspects who were nominated in the FIR, in addition to three elders who refused to sign the peace agreement to end the bloodshed.

Speaking to Dawn, former minister Sajid Turi said that after the peace agreement, it was the government’s responsibility to ensure the convoy reached Parachinar.

He said that the situation in the “besieged areas” of Kurram was very difficult, and if the government failed to resolve the issue, it would only worsen.

With roads closed for more than two months now, Kurram is facing a dire shortage of food items, medicines, and other necessities. Mr Turi said that the markets have run out of basic necessities due to the 93-day-long closure of the Thall-Parachinar Road.

He alleged there were militants in the district who had ‘support’, but did not specify who was supporting them.

According to the former minister, the government was trying to negotiate from a position of weakness. The KP chief minister, in his first visit to Kohat, made a decision without the jirga and then the same was endorsed by the cabinet and the apex committee as well, he added.

Besides, a helicopter service that was launched last month has also been closed for the past week, causing immense problems for patients, travellers, and students.

According to Mr Turi, the government promised that the convoy would reach Parachinar on Tuesday, but that promise had not materialised. He, however, pointed out that such convoys were not a solution to cater to the needs of about 500,000 people. “It is too little, and there is no guarantee when another convoy will be allowed to proceed,” he added.

MNA Engineer Hameed Hussain urged immediate steps to open access routes so that the citizens’ difficulties regarding food and medical treatment could be resolved.

Dr Qadar Orakzai, a jirga member from Lower Kurram, said that he was hopeful that the convoy would proceed to Kurram on Wednesday. He said that the local authorities had held a meeting on Tuesday at the Chapari Gate to sort out the issue. “I am hopeful that things will play out positively tonight,” he said.

Dr Orakzai said that Bagan Bazaar, which was burnt down after the November attack targeting a convoy that left more than 40 people dead, should be reconstructed like the Miramshah Bazaar in North Waziristan.

Speaking about the attack on the DC, Dr Orakzai said that Bagan people had nothing to do with the attack and that they were ready to prove their innocence under the recently concluded peace agreement. “The village where the attack took place and Bagan people are themselves the victims of violence and are ready to prove their innocence,” he said.

On the other hand, some vehicles that were part of the convoy have returned to Peshawar due to delays. Hangu Deputy Commissioner Gohar Zaman Wazir said that only the vehicles carrying perishable food items had gone back, while the remaining vehicles were still part of the convoy.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2025