KURRAM: At least three people were killed and several others went missing on Friday when unidentified assailants attacked a group of people travelling from Parachinar to Peshawar in the Bagan area of Lower Kurram, triggering protests across the tribal district.

According to officials from the Kurram district administration, the travellers were passing through the Dad Qamar area of Bagan when gunmen opened fire, killing three men identified as Tahir Hussain, Safar Ali and Mazar Hussain. Several others were missing until late on Friday night.

The bodies of the deceased were shifted to Parachinar, where news of the assault sparked widespread protests. Additional Commissioner Amir Nawaz confirmed that the bodies had been handed over to the families and said an investigation into the incident was under way.

Relatives of the victims said the men were travelling to Peshawar to renew visas or make arrangements for travelling abroad, as their documents were nearing expiry.

The Thall-Parachinar Road, which connects the district with the rest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has remained closed since the Nov 21, 2024, attack on a convoy in the Bagan area that left more than 50 dead. Ensuing clashes stemming from decades-old land disputes claimed at least 130 more lives.

With the road still inaccessible, essential supplies such as food and medicine are transported under official protection through convoys. However, convoys have repeatedly come under attack. A recent assault in Lower Kurram resulted in several casualties, as well as looting and the burning of several trucks.

Addressing a press conference, tribal elders including Haji Imdad Ali accused the local administration officials of taking bribes to allow trucks to join government-protected convoys, which transport basic necessities to the besieged town.

They criticised the administration for failing to reopen the road despite an eight-month peace agreement signed on March 29.

The tribal leaders accused authorities of fleecing traders for including their vehicles in the convoy and called for the immediate reopening of all roads in the district.

On Tuesday, traders of Parachinar city observed a shutter-down strike against the months-long closure of the Parachinar-Thall Road amid a volatile security situation.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2025