PESHAWAR:
The district administration in Kurram is all set to 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 wider peace deal, several teams have been formed with plans to begin demolitions in selected villages. The first phase will focus on one bunker from each of the two opposing villages with a deadline of February 1 for the task to be completed.
The district administration has set up committees to monitor this process.
Deputy Commissioner Kurram Ashfaq Khan said that according to the peace agreement with Kohat, all bunkers in the district will be demolished and weapons collected by February 1.
He said law enforcement personnel would accompany the teams to the demolition sites. He added that after the security clearance, relief convoys would be sent to the region.
Meanwhile, Section 144 remains in force in Kurram.
The demolition orders for the bunkers were issued a day earlier in accordance with the decisions of the provincial top committee and the peace agreement.
Executive Engineer (EXEN) of C&W (Communication and Works) department for Upper and Lower Kurram has been instructed to be present at the site with necessary tools and workers for the bunker demolition.
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 villages to carry out the task.
Confirming the development, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said work was on to demolish bunkers in Kurram.
Regarding unrest in KP, he confirmed the presence of 166 bunkers in Kurram, with efforts underway for their demolition.
On December 20, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Supreme Committee took the decision to dismantle all bunkers in Kurram district as part of efforts to restore peace, after weeks of deadly tribal clashes that had led to a worsening law and order situation.
The clashes, rooted in long-running land disputes, have killed at least 130 people since November. The violence also triggered shortages of food and medicine due to road blockades that lasted for weeks.
Medicine supplies
Meanwhile, Advisor for Health Ihtisham Ali said that the demand for medicine has increased significantly in Kurram district due to the extreme weather conditions. He noted a noticeable increase in outpatient visits for children’s illnesses in the region.
Ihtisham Ali assured the public that the supply of medicine to health centers in Kurram district continues uninterrupted. He said that 2,900 kg of medicine was delivered to Sadda Hospital in Lower Kurram on Sunday.
The delivery was made possible through two flights by the KP government’s MI-17 helicopter. Emergency medicines worth Rs 1.5 million have been handed over to the Medical Superintendent of Sadda Hospital.
He further emphasized that the helicopter-based supply of medicine will continue until the situation returns to normal.
