PESHAWAR:
The Kurram district administration will begin dismantling bunkers that have fueled the ongoing conflict in the region, with the process starting today (Monday) after a delay on Sunday.
As part of a broader peace agreement, several teams have been formed with plans to begin demolitions in selected villages. The first phase will focus on a bunker in each of the two enemy villages, with a deadline of February 1 to complete the task.
The district administration has formed committees to oversee this process.
Deputy Commissioner Kurram Ashfaq Khan said that as per the peace agreement with Kohat, all bunkers in the district will be demolished and weapons collected by February 1.
He said law enforcement officers would accompany the teams to the demolition sites. He added that after security clearance aid convoys would be sent to the region.
Meanwhile, Section 144 remains in force in Kurram.
The orders to demolish the bunkers were issued a day earlier in accordance with the decisions of the higher provincial committee and the peace agreement.
The executive engineer (EXEN) of Upper and Lower Kurram C&W (Communication and Works) department has been directed to be present at the site with tools and workers required for the demolition of the bunker.
According to the notification, initially one bunker from each of the two villages will be dismantled and a 14-member government team will be sent to both the villages to carry out the task.
Confirming the development, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said work was underway to demolish bunkers in Kurram.
Regarding the unrest in KP, he confirmed the presence of 166 bunkers in Kurram and efforts are underway for their demolition.
On December 20, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa high committee took a decision to dismantle all bunkers in Kurram district as part of efforts to restore peace, following weeks of deadly tribal clashes that had led to a deteriorating situation. of law and order.
The clashes, which have their roots in old land disputes, have claimed at least 130 lives since November. The violence also led to shortages of food and medicine due to road blockades that lasted for weeks.
Medicine supplies
Meanwhile, Health Advisor Ihtisham Ali said the demand for medicines has increased significantly in Kurram district due to extreme weather conditions. He observed a notable increase in outpatient consultations for childhood illnesses in the region.
Ihtisham Ali assured the public that the supply of medicines to health centers in Kurram district continues uninterrupted. He shared that 2,900 kilograms of medicines were delivered to Sadda Hospital in Lower Kurram on Sunday.
The delivery was made possible by two flights of the KP government’s MI-17 helicopter. Emergency medicines worth Rs 1.5 million were handed over to the medical superintendent of Sadda Hospital.
He also stressed that the supply of medicines through helicopters will continue until the situation normalizes.
