Protest Intensifies in Parachinar Over Seven-Month Travel Ban in Kurram

The leaders alleged that large sums are being demanded to include vehicles in the convoys, which is unaffordable for the public, making the protest inevitable.

The protest movement in Parachinar has intensified against the seven-month-long suspension of travel in Kurram district. A sit-in outside the Parachinar Press Club has been ongoing for the past one and a half months, while the traders' community launched a shutter-down strike yesterday, which continued into its second day today.

Addressing the protest gathering, trader leaders Haji Imdad, Haji Asghar Hussain, Shahid Hussain, and others stated that despite a peace agreement, vehicles are still being escorted in convoys, with intervals now extended to three weeks, causing greater public hardship. The leaders alleged that large sums are being demanded to include vehicles in the convoys, which is unaffordable for the public, making the protest inevitable.

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Meanwhile, social activists Musarrat Bangash and Malik Zartaj, speaking at the ongoing sit-in, demanded that all travel routes be reopened immediately and that those affected by the unrest be provided with relief packages. They stated that the sit-in would continue until these demands are met.

The area’s roads have fallen silent, educational institutions remain closed, and a severe shortage of food, medicine, and fuel has paralyzed daily life.