Peshawar, Parachinar: A day after a gun attack on Karam Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has said that the relief convoy, which was supposed to leave for Karam on Saturday, will now leave for the area after security clearance. .
Addressing. Geo NewsBarrister Muhammad Ali Saif, spokesperson for the KP government, said he did not consider yesterday’s Kuram incident a major setback, noting that the relief convoy would leave as soon as security clearance was granted.
His comments came at a time when a relief convoy containing essential supplies for the crisis-hit Karam district was in Tal due to the closure of the Parachinar-Tal road following yesterday’s gun attack on Kurram Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud on Saturday. Stopped with parked cars.
Meanwhile, the provincial government has appointed Ashfaq Khan as deputy commissioner after the attack on Mehsud.
The district administration has confirmed that the convoy of 80 vehicles has not yet left for the affected areas and will be dispatched as soon as the road is cleared.
Vehicles loaded with essential items, including medicines and other essential items of daily use, were bound for the violence-hit area but were stopped after the fresh attack.
In the backdrop of acute shortage of essential commodities in the district, uncertainty surrounding the relief convoy remains.
The Parachinar-Taal road was due to reopen a day earlier, three months after a peace deal was signed on Wednesday by the warring tribes, whose clashes have killed more than 200 people since July 2024.
However, the hopes of 600,000 Kurram residents to get much-needed supplies were dashed when gunmen fired at DC Mehsud and six others, including a Frontier Constabulary official, a policeman and four civilians, were injured.
The relief convoy was stopped after the incident, KP spokesperson Saif said vehicles would be allowed to go to Parachinar after the situation returned to normal.
Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner – who played a key role in efforts to restore peace in the troubled region – has since been airlifted to Peshawar by helicopter and is undergoing treatment.
With officials saying five people involved in the attack have been identified, the KP government led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has vowed to take stern action against those involved in the attack.
Due to the non-arrival of relief supplies, the protestors have continued their dharna at the Parachinar Press Club demanding reopening of the roads.
Speaking on the issue, Barrister Saif assured that the government will ensure peace as per the peace accord and anti-peace elements will be dealt with with iron hands.
Terming the DC attack as an attempt to sabotage peace, a KP government spokesperson said the aid convoy – whose vehicles are parked in Taal – has been temporarily halted due to security concerns and has been given due clearance. Will be dispatched soon after receiving.
Stressing that the government’s resolve was not affected by Saturday’s tragic incident, he recalled that the deputy commissioner was attacked when he was on his way to the Bagan area where people were staging a dharna.
Giving details of the injured, Saif said that two DC guards are undergoing treatment at Sada, while one has been admitted to CMH Peshawar along with the Deputy Commissioner.