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Parachinar Traders Protest Prolonged Road Closure, Demand Aid Access
Traders in Parachinar observe shutter-down strike against months-long Thall-Parachinar Road closure. Food, fuel, medicine, and schoolbook shortages grip the city.
ND
by News Desk
2025-04-15
Parachinar Traders Protest Prolonged Road Closure, Demand Aid Access

Traders in Parachinar, located in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, observed a complete shutter-down strike on Tuesday in protest of the prolonged closure of the Thall-Parachinar Road. The road, the only vital artery connecting the city to the rest of the province, has remained sealed since a deadly attack on November 21, 2024, in Bagan that killed over 50 people. The attack triggered renewed clashes over long-standing land disputes, which have since claimed at least 130 more lives.

A ceasefire was signed on January 1, but it has failed to stabilize the situation. Attacks on aid convoys, government officials, and security forces have persisted, exacerbating the already fragile conditions in the region.

Haji Imdad Hussain, president of the Parachinar Traders Union, told Dawn.com that the strike aimed to press for the reopening of the road and safe passage for travel and trade. “People are dying for lack of medicine and can’t even travel to Peshawar for treatment,” he lamented. Severe shortages of food, fuel, and medical supplies have gripped the region, with petrol reportedly selling for Rs700–Rs1,000 per litre in the black market.

Imdad, along with other local traders, addressed a press conference expressing frustration over the government’s failure to ensure access to the region despite a formal peace agreement. They alleged that aid trucks were being extorted and that checkpoints were harassing civilians. Schools have been hit hard too — children began their academic year in March without access to textbooks.

According to Imdad, more than 300 trucks loaded with essential goods have been stuck between Thall and Doaba for weeks, awaiting clearance. Traders claim they’re paying over Rs1 million per vehicle to secure passage, with daily parking costs of Rs10,000. Since March 27, no aid convoy has reached Parachinar.

Convoys that did attempt access were attacked in Lower Kurram, with several incidents of looting and arson reported.

Late last month, tribal leaders agreed to an eight-month peace deal ahead of Eidul Fitr. Prior to that, the KP government had announced a fresh military operation in February targeting militant elements in the area.

In a parallel move, teams from the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have conducted feasibility assessments of Parachinar airport for potential commercial and humanitarian operations, aiming to break the region’s isolation.

The traders have vowed to continue their protest until the Thall-Parachinar Road is reopened and the city is reconnected with the rest of the province.

 
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