KURRAM: The Tal-Parachinar Road, the main road connecting Parachinar to the rest of the country, has remained closed for the 160th consecutive day, causing severe disruptions in Kurram as tensions continue in the conflict-stricken region.
The Pak-Afghan Kharlachi border crossing that connects Kurram with Afghanistan’s eastern Paktia province has also been closed since the beginning of the conflict between the two warring tribes.
The roadblock and the ongoing closure of the border crossing have halted trade activities and led to critical shortages of essential supplies, including food and medicines in Parachinar. The closure has significantly impacted daily life and economic activities.
The residents staged a protest sit-in against the prolonged closure of roads in the district headquarters Parachinar, which entered its seventh consecutive day on Saturday.
The locals say that life has been severely affected by the prolonged road closure. Despite the holy month of Ramadan, more than a hundred villages, including Parachinar city, remain under siege.
They said essential goods are in short supply, and citizens are forced to buy basic items at inflated prices.
The residents’ protest sit-in outside the Parachinar Press Club, demanding the immediate reopening of roads to and from Kurram. They also demanding a relief package for families affected by the lack of medical treatment due to ongoing unrest.
Organizers say the protest will continue until their demands are met.
The protesters are calling for the reopening of the main road in Tal Parachinar to ease their daily struggles.
Elders addressing the protest sit-in said that families of 500 individuals—many of them children—who lost their lives due to a lack of medical treatment during the crisis should be compensated under a martyr package.
They said that the closure of roads has left a population of over 0.5 million without access to essential food items and medical care.
The district administration requested the protesters to end the sit-in, attributing the road closures to security concerns. Officials assured that various steps are being taken to provide relief to the affected population and they have acknowledged the severity of the crisis.
The protesters, however, refused to end the six-day long protest and said that the sit-in would continue until the roads are reopened and made safe for travel.
This week, an aid convoy of 113 small and large vehicles carrying food, medicine and other basic necessities arrived in Parachinar after a period of 15 days.
The trade union President Haji Imdad said that relief trucks were sent to different areas of Lower Kurram.
The aid supply was suspended following a deadly attack on an aid convoy on February 17.
Protesters said essential goods remain scarce, even during Ramadan. They blamed the government for failing to open roads closed for five months.
Inflation in Parachinar has worsened. Elders criticized the authorities for keeping the Tall-Parachinar highway shut despite Ramadan.
The business community warned that road closures have caused severe shortages. Citizens struggle to find basic necessities.
Flour, ghee, sugar, and oil remain unavailable. Ladyfingers and peas cost Rs 850 per kg, tomatoes Rs 500, onions Rs 250, garlic Rs 1,600, and potatoes Rs 170.
Quinoa sells for Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 per dozen. Guavas cost Rs 600 per kg.
Petrol and diesel are sold in the black market for Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200. The poor and middle class cannot afford basic goods.
Also Read: Resource shortage forces School closures in Parachinar
The Tal-Parachinar highway has been shut for over five months. Severe shortages force many citizens to go hungry.
Fuel shortages and power outages have worsened the water crisis. People face extreme hardships.
