Human crisis in Kurram district deepens: All educational institutions to remain closed

ISLAMABAD: Human crisis in troubled Kurram district has deepened as all the education institutions, both public and private have been closed due to prolonged closure of main roads. Continued roads blockade has adversely impacted the routine life of the people from all walks of life.

Authorities and heads of the educational institutions have confirmed the closure of all education institutions until normalcy returns to the restive region.

They said that schools will remain shut until the main Thall-Parachinar highway is reopened and secured. It is worth mentioning here that main highway leading to Peshawar had been closed since 70 days consecutively.

The tribal leaders pointed out, visas and tickets of overseas Pakistanis living in Kurram, have been rendered invalid due to ongoing unrest and road closures.

Meanwhile, grand Jirga also held marathon meeting in Kohat for restoring peace and normalcy in Kurram.

Local journalist Hidayat Pasdar told Business Recorder on phone that the roads blockades in Kurram district has brought daily life to a standstill, generating a humanitarian crisis in the region. He said via bakeries, tandoors (ovens) and restaurants have been forced to closed down, leaving residents without access to essential commodities. The area has also been experiencing fuel, oil, firewood, medicines and food shortages in harsh winter.

Meanwhile, Ali Rehman Malik, chairman of the Institute of Research and Reforms (IRR) and the Rehman Malik Foundation, met with representatives from Parachinar and expressed profound grief over the tragic killing of more than 100 men, women, and children in a brutal attack on a convoy carrying passengers from Parachinar on November 21.

During the visit, Ali Rehman Malik also spent time with orphans who have lost their parents to acts of terrorism, distributing gifts and sharing words of comfort.

Chairman IRR International voiced his deep concern about the humanitarian crisis in Parachinar, which has been completely cut off from the rest of the country for over 70 days. This isolation has left residents without access to food, medicine, or basic supplies, exacerbating an already dire situation, he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024