Authorities have demolished nearly 1,000 bunkers in the Kurram district under a peace agreement signed earlier this year, though roads leading into the region remain closed and public protests continue.
According to official sources, a total of 988 bunkers have so far been dismantled — 635 in Upper Kurram and 353 in Lower Kurram — as part of an ongoing disarmament operation.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Ameer Nawaz stated that the process of demolishing remaining bunkers would continue in the coming days, terming it essential for ensuring durable peace in the area.
Despite the progress in the operation, the main roads into Parachinar remain closed, exacerbating the hardship for residents. A sit-in protest outside the Parachinar Press Club against the continued road closures has entered another day.
With supply routes disrupted, prices of essential commodities have surged in the district. Tomatoes are being sold at Rs500 per kilogram, potatoes at Rs200, and chicken at Rs1,000 per kilogram.
Parachinar has remained largely inaccessible for several months following an armed conflict between Shia and Sunni tribes. While the government brokered a peace agreement in January, the truce has proven fragile, prompting continued operations to disarm rival factions and reopen the Thall-Parachinar highway.
