Parachinar – 15 April: Traders in Parachinar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, held a shutter-down strike on Tuesday to protest the months-long Thall-Parachinar Road closure. The blockade of the only land route to the region has triggered severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.
Militants attacked a convoy in Bagan on November 21, killing over 50 people. Clashes over land disputes later killed more than 130. Warring groups signed a ceasefire on January 1. However, they continued attacking aid convoys and officials, disrupting peace.
Union President Haji Imdad Hussain said they held the strike to demand road reopening and safe trade routes. “Patients are dying without treatment, and families are starving due to a lack of food and medicine,” he said
Addressing a press conference, union members including Haji Asghar Hussain, Yousuf Hussain, Liaquat Kaka, and Jaffar Hussain criticized authorities for failing to implement the peace deal. They alleged officials demand large bribes to include trucks in aid convoys.
The traders demanded that inspections at checkposts be made less disruptive, saying they would continue their protest until the roads reopen. “There are no books for schoolchildren, and the black market is charging up to Rs1,000 per litre for petrol,” added Imdad.
He further revealed that no aid convoy has reached Parachinar since March 27, just before Eidul Fitr. Authorities have blocked over 300 trucks carrying essential goods between Thall and Doaba in Hangu district. “Traders are paying over Rs1 million in rent for each truck, with daily parking costs reaching Rs10,000,” he lamented.
Militants have attacked several aid convoys in Lower Kurram recently, causing casualties and destroying vehicles. This has only deepened the humanitarian crisis in the besieged region.
Previously, tribal leaders announced an eight-month peace pact late last month. While the provincial government had earlier launched a new operation against militants in February. Authorities are also evaluating the feasibility of launching commercial and humanitarian flights from Parachinar airport to ease the ongoing crisis.
The traders’ protest underscores the urgent need for security and logistical intervention to restore normalcy in Kurram’s trade and daily life.
Disclaimer: This report on the Parachinar road blockade is based on verified statements from field reporters. Original reporting credits remain with Dawn.com.
