- The FDMA is sending 10 vehicles carrying relief goods in the first phase.
- Sources indicate that 2 to 3 relief convoys will be sent within a week.
- The Peace Committee assures the government of the safe passage of the convoy.
HANGU: The first aid convoy stuck in Tal for several days finally left for Kurram to deliver relief supplies to residents of the crisis-hit Bagan region, officials said PK Press Club News Wednesday.
The Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) dispatched 10 vehicles carrying tents, mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets and various other vital goods during the first phase.
Another convoy containing food supplies also left for Kurram to provide relief to Parachinar.
Sources further said that two to three more relief convoys would be sent to Kurram within a week.
The insiders further said that the Peace Committee had assured the government of the safe passage of the convoy and that affected Bagan residents would be compensated for their losses.
He also assured the authorities of surrender of the culprits involved in the attack on Kurram Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud.
Efforts to send essential food and other goods to various parts of Kurram district began on January 4. However, the operation faced setbacks after an attack on Mehsud in the Bagan area of lower Kurram and a sit-in protest by local tribes in Mandori.
Authorities temporarily stopped the convoy as tensions escalated, but no solution was found for four days.
The drivers, at the end of their patience, would have chosen to return. Many vehicles, carrying perishable goods, left, while others remained parked in different parts of Tal.
Delaying “aggravating” problems
Talk to NewsHangu deputy commissioner Gohar Zaman Wazir clarified on Tuesday evening that only vehicles loaded with perishable goods were being sent back. He said most of the vehicles in the convoy remained behind.
Despite a ceasefire and peace agreement after months of unrest, residents of Kurram district await the arrival of essential food and medical supplies.
Over the past four days, convoys loaded with essential goods have been unable to move forward due to road closures. This delay aggravates the problems of the local population, as there is a serious shortage of medicines.
Deaths of children and other patients have also been reported due to lack of proper treatment.
Lack of medical help “causes deaths”
Social activist Ali Jawad said three more children died of illness, bringing the total death toll from road closures to 221, including 147 children.
“The absence of food and medical aid is causing deaths. Immediate action is needed to prevent further losses,” he said.
Hamid Hussain, a member of the National Assembly, urged authorities to reopen the roads without delay and said: “The people have been under siege for three months. Further delays will worsen the suffering of residents.
Immediate measures must be taken to ensure the provision of essential goods and medical assistance.
District administration officials said Section 144 was imposed in Kurram and a sit-in in front of the Parachinar press club ended recently.
However, they attributed the delay in the convoy movement to an ongoing protest on the main road from Mandori area to Lower Kurram. Tehsil Chairman Agha Muzzammil Hussain said the blockage of food and medical supplies in Upper Kurram areas was inhumane.
Social worker Ameer Afzal Khan urged the government to immediately reopen key delivery routes for food and medical supplies.
Meanwhile, protests broke out in Sadda, where traders demanded the release of Irshad Khan, the president of the local traders’ union, who was arrested for allegedly making inflammatory speeches.
