Hawzah News Agency- on behalf of Senator Raja Nasser Abbas Jafari, Chairman of the Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), protesting the closure of Parachinar roads in front of the National Press Club in Islamabad and at a gathering of opponents of promoting violence, said,” People's trust in the government and their institutions has been ruined or has reached its lowest level. After Baluchistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, now the Kurram region is also experiencing unrest and severe concern on the side of people. The Kurram region was also under siege for three years in 2007. Those whom the government today calls Khawarij are the same extremists who attacked Parachinar.”

Senator Raja Nasir Abbas added,” The ground situation in Kurram and Parachinar is completely different from the rest of Pakistan. This region borders Afghanistan on three sides. The insecurity in Kurram is ingenuine and there is no Shia-Sunni conflict there. The people of Kurram demand peace. Kurram has been turned into a prison for more than two months. Medicines have run out and there is a severe shortage of food. If medicines are available, then why are they being sent by helicopter? Your duty is to open the roads, who are you fooling by sending helicopters?”

The Pakistani senator went on to say that our demand is clear, the Tal-Parachinar Road should be opened immediately. Those who are involved in closing the roads, people want them to resign immediately. We also ask the officials to open the roads immediately and stop making baseless excuses. The local government has not been able to resolve this ground issue so far. Therefore, the government should end the siege by ensuring security and not put the lives of millions of people at serious risk.”

It is worth noting that all Shia political and religious parties across Pakistan are protesting against the closure of Parachinar roads.