Pakistan: Protest erupts in Kurram after brutal murders of passengers

Kurram [Pakistan], December 25 (ANI): Tribesmen in Kurram held a protest on Tuesday over the recent murders of two passengers, Ishaq Hussain and Waseem Hussain, whose bodies were found in the Bagan area with their throats slit, Dawn reported today.
According to reports by Dawn, the victims, who were residents of Parachinar, had been travelling from Peshawar when they were promised safe passage by acquaintances from a rival group in exchange for Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 70,000.
Despite this agreement, they were killed, sparking outrage among local tribesmen. The bodies were placed on the road as a demonstration against the killings, with protestors demanding swift justice, Dawn reported.
This incident is part of an ongoing wave of violence in the region. On November 21, a convoy was attacked in the Bagan area, resulting in at least 50 deaths, followed by violent clashes in Kurram. Since then, all major roads, including the Parachinar Highway, have been closed, severely affecting daily life. Protesters are calling for the immediate reopening of the Peshawar-Parachinar Highway, criticizing the provincial government for falsely claiming that the road could be reopened in a matter of hours.
The ongoing blockade in Upper Kurram, as reported by Dawn, has exacerbated an already fragile humanitarian crisis in the region, where violence and instability have long been prevalent. The blockade has led to severe shortages of food, medicine, and other essential goods, further complicating the already dire situation.
Over 50 children died due to the lack of medical facilities, with some sources suggesting that the actual death toll could be even higher. This crisis is particularly devastating in a region that has been grappling with decades of violence and conflict, where access to basic services has always been a challenge, Dawn reported.
Local businesses, already struggling in the face of violence, have been forced to shut down due to the scarcity of food and essential supplies, plunging the community deeper into poverty. The district administration is reportedly in talks to reopen roads, but the ongoing instability and violence continue to impede these efforts. The situation has created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, making it difficult for aid to reach those who need it most, as per Dawn.
Despite these urgent reports from local chemists and drug associations, which point to a critical lack of medical supplies due to road closures, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has rejected claims that deaths in Upper Kurram were caused by medicine shortages. Ihtesham Ali, the adviser to the Chief Minister on Health, insisted that no fatalities had occurred because of the lack of medicines and maintained that the government was ensuring the uninterrupted flow of medical aid. However, local sources remain unconvinced, given the region's history of violence and the challenges in securing safe passage for aid convoys, Dawn reported. (ANI)