ISLAMABAD: Crisis-struck people of Kurram Agencyís headquarters Parachinar on Wednesday made an impassioned appeal to President Asif Ali Zardari and the Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to take notice of alleged firing of the security forces on students the other day, which wounded three of them.

President Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani were requested to order the desperately-awaited launch of C-130 plane and helicopter service between Peshawar and the agency’s headquarters till the main road was made secure for travel. They said still it was too risky to travel by road, as it was totally in control of militants.
Parachinar’s representatives Ejaz Hussain, Muhammad Asghar, Nisar Ali, Bashir Sajidi and Ejaz Hussain Askari during a hurriedly-called news conference at the National Press Club here, charged the Levies and the FC had opened firing on students in Parachinar, who were agitating against the Tall-Parachinar Road blockade. They also alleged that Rs. 600 million funds under the BISP had also been swindled by officials and to hush it up, the Post Office record had been set on fire.

The speakers called for an impartial investigation into the firing incident and why seven students and some journalists of the Tribal Union of Journalists, were taken to an known place. The Army had recently launched an operation in Kurram, which was widely welcomed and the local people fully supported it. But it should have had continued till the elimination of militants.

The speakers lamented thousands of people, who had managed to reunite with their families in Parachinar, risking their lives, were still stranded there due to the continuous blockade of the main road despite repeated promises.Daily Times.