Parachinar dwellers’ woes deepen as road closure enters 7th month

PARACHINAR: The residents of Parachinar in Kurram district have been facing extreme hardships due to the continued closure of roads and suspension of mobile internet services for over seven months.

Despite brief restoration during the visit of top officials, the 3G and 4G services remain shut down, while road access has been completely restricted for 216 days after violent clashes and armed confrontations in the volatile district.

“The locals are struggling to access food, medical care, fuel, and education. With fuel supplies exhausted, many are forced to travel on foot,” said an elder.

Social activist Syed Muhammad said that internet services were briefly restored during the recent visit of the chief secretary, but were cut off again within hours.

Engineer Hamid Hussain, Member of the National Assembly and Parliamentary Leader of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), criticised the government for failing to reopen roads even after peace agreements had been signed, bunkers dismantled, and weapons voluntarily surrendered. “People are reaching the moon, and we’re being denied access to roads on Earth,” he remarked.

“This is collective punishment. The public can no longer endure such injustice,” he added.

According to Muhammad Hayat Khan, chairman of the Private Education Network, student attendance is near zero due to the fuel shortage and transport issues. “The future of our children is at serious risk,” he warned.