Kurram crisis: tribal leaders to meet in Islamabad today

KURRAM: A major initiative by Kurram district leaders is being undertaken today to establish lasting peace in the regions, sources familiar with the local Jirga said.

Leaders of the stakeholder tribes will sit face to face today in the federal capital Islamabad, and aim to find a solution to the issue, Jirga member Syed Raza Hussain told HUM News. The meeting will be held at the house of former Senator Sajjad Syed Mian.

Leaders of the region have begun arriving in Islamabad for the Jirga, Raza Hussain said, adding that a plan of action will be prepared to remove misunderstandings and resolve lingering issues.

He said that important progress is expected for establishing lasting peace from today’s meeting. Solutions to the difficulties faced by people in the region, and practical steps to implement the peace agreement will also be discussed, Raza Hussain added.

KURRAM SITUATION

Traffic routes to and from Kurram, Parachinar have been closed for four months now, since October, due to incidents of firing and clashes. Half a million people in the area have been under siege like conditions due to road closures.

The prolonged blockage has also caused people to be deprived of food, fuel and medical treatment. Patients are dying due to lack of treatment, said a local social leader Yousaf Lala.

He said that so far 460 patients, including 220 children, have died due to lack of treatment. The situation is dire, despite the helicopters of the Cabinet Committee, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz being used to transport critical patients to Peshawar and Rawalpindi.

Protests also continue in Lower Kurram for relief of Bagan victims and arrest of those involved in the incident. Protesting leader Malik Haji Karim said that protest will continue until the issue is resolved.