In the tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Kurram, petrol is sold at an alarming pace of RS1200 per liter due to the prolonged closure of the roads, according to the media.
Since November 2024, the security situation in the region has led to the blocking of terrestrial routes, resulting in limited movements of vehicles and shortages of essential products, including food and oil products.
Local residents report that owners of petrol pumps charge for arbitrary prices for petrol, and drivers are limited to the purchase of 5 to 10 liters at a time.
According to Syed Ikhlaq Hussain, president of the Upper Kurram Qabad Shah Khel, two days ago, the price of gasoline was RS1000 per liter, but from last night, the price went to Rs1200 by liter . “”
He also noted that if petrol is available in small quantities, diesel is not completely unavailable on the market. The local dealer Nawab Ali explained that since November, oil tankers have not provided fuel to the region due to the deterioration of the security situation.
“After the rupture of the law and the order, road access was limited, but following negotiations with the Jirga (tribal council), some vehicles began to arrive in convoys,” it He declared. However, Ali added that while food supplies arrive, the oil tankers were not allowed to enter the region.
Ali also said that heavy bribes were requested from the Taal checkpoint, causing significant financial losses to drivers. “There is a fuel shortage for vehicles leaving Kurram, leading to overcrowding in service stations,” he said.
Gul Nawaz Afridi, president of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Petroleum Association, informed that local Kurram dealers have a limited number of vehicles and that the owners of the voids of neighboring districts did not want to send their trucks to Kurram.
“Due to the fears of attacks on Kurram convoys, the oil tankers do not enter the district, causing a fuel shortage,” said Afridi. He assured that the local officials of the oil association were in contact and that the problem of fuel will soon be solved.
In response, district administration officials said efforts were underway to face the fuel shortage. Discussions have taken place with petroleum merchants and petrol pump owners, and security arrangements will be made to guarantee that oil tankers reach Parachinar, the main city of Kurram.
It is relevant to note that in November 2024, an attack on firearms against a traveling convoy from Kurram to Peshawar led to a tribal conflict, breaking Kurram’s ties with other districts.
