Friday, April 8, 2011

Deployment of soldiers on Kurram roads urged

PARACHINAR: The ulema and tribal elders in restive Kurram Agency have asked the government to deploy the army on the roads to protect lives of the passengers and announce support package for the 0.5 million tribal people who were stranded due to the insecure roads.

Addressing a press conference here Thursday, the ulema and elders including Allama Muhammad Ibrahim Muhammadi, Allama Muhammad Hussain Tahriri, Muhammad Taqi and others said the people of the Kurram Agency were economically paralysed by a handful of militants in the area. They added that the government along with the military high-ups must realise the social and economic plight of the residents of Kurram tribal region.

They wondered as to why the civil and military leadership were shy in taking concrete steps against the group of militants entrenched in the lower parts of Kurram Agency.

They said it was high time the government must stop the bloodbath in Kurram Agency that had been enforced on the residents in the area for the last four years. The elders said that there were elements, which were instigating the already hurt Turi and Bangash tribes to stage a revolt against the government that was unable to protect the lives of the people including women and children. They asked the government to recover forthwith more than 35 passengers abducted by militants on March 25 while they were on way to Parachinar.