- Government’s resolve not affected by Kurram incident: Saif.
- Two DC guards are being treated in Sadda, says KP govt spokesperson.
- Confirms that the aid convoy vehicles are still parked in Tal.
PESHAWAR, PARACHINAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Information Adviser Advocate Muhammad Ali Saif on Sunday said the aid convoy, which was supposed to leave for Kurram on Saturday, would now leave for the restive region after security clearance.
“I don’t consider yesterday’s Kurram incident a big setback. [aid] The convoy will leave as soon as [we] receive security clearance,” the KP government spokesperson said while speaking to Geographic news.
His comments come as the aid convoy containing essential goods for crisis-hit Kurram district remains halted with vehicles parked in Tal due to closure of Parachinar-Tal highway following yesterday’s armed attack on Kurram deputy commissioner , Javedullah Mehsud, on Saturday.
The district administration confirmed that the convoy of 80 vehicles is yet to leave for the affected areas and will be sent as soon as the road is cleared.
Vehicles loaded with vital items, including medicines and other daily essentials, were heading to the violence-scarred region but were held up after the latest attack.
Uncertainty surrounding the relief convoy continues amid severe shortage of essential items in the district.
The Parachinar-Tal highway was due to reopen a day earlier, after three months of a peace agreement signed on Wednesday by the warring tribes whose clashes have caused more than 200 deaths since July 2024.
However, the hopes of 600,000 Kurram residents of getting much-needed supplies were shattered after gunmen opened fire and injured DC Mehsud and six others, including a border police personnel, a policeman and four civilians.
Following the incident, the aid convoy was stopped and KP spokesperson Saif said the vehicles would be allowed to proceed to Parachinar once the situation has normalized.
Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner, who had played a key role in efforts to restore peace in the restive region, has since been flown to Peshawar by helicopter and is receiving treatment for his injuries.
As authorities said that five people involved in the attack have been identified, the KP government led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has promised to take strict action against those involved in the attack.
With no sightings of relief goods arriving, protesters continue to stage a sit-in at Parachinar Press Club demanding reopening of roads.
Speaking on the issue, Advocate Saif assured that the government will ensure peace as per the peace agreement and elements contrary to peace will be dealt with with iron hands.
Terming the attack on DC as an attempt to sabotage peace, the KP government spokesperson said the aid convoy, whose vehicles are parked in Tal, has only been stopped temporarily due to security concerns and would be dispatched soon after receiving proper authorization.
Stressing that the government’s resolve was not affected by Saturday’s unfortunate event, he recalled that the deputy commissioner was attacked while on his way to the Bagan area where people were staging a sit-in.
Giving details about the injured, Saif said two of the DC guards were being treated at Sadda, while one was admitted to CMH Peshawar along with the deputy commissioner himself.
