PESHAWAR: Relief packages meant for thousands of affected families in Kurram district have gone missing, raising serious questions about the Pakistan Red Crescent Society’s (PRCS) relief distribution system.
PRCS claimed that 2,000 packages were formally approved and dispatched, but they neither reached the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chapter nor the intended recipients. According to PRCS, the consignment was handed over to the KP chapter’s vice chairman Farzand Wazir. However, Wazir rejected the claim, stating that he had never received the relief goods.
Malik Habib, chairman PRCS (KP), dispatched a letter to the national headquarters, stating that the provincial branch never received the packages allocated for Parachinar and Kurram. He demanded a transparent inquiry to clarify when, where, and to whom the aid was handed over. He stated the provincial leadership was kept in the dark throughout the process, which only deepened suspicions.
Speaking to this correspondent, Habib revealed that when he first learned about the packages, all roads to Kurram were closed due to sectarian tensions. He said he directed PRCS secretary general Ali Hassan to investigate, who responded to the national headquarters through email confirming that the packages had been handed over to KP vice chairman Wazir. However, Wazir told Habib he never received any packages and asked the headquarters to provide evidence. Habib added that even after a new chairperson took office, he wrote again seeking details but received no reply.
Emails available with The News show that the PRCS national headquarters maintained that 2,000 relief packages were given to the vice chairman. But speaking to this correspondent, Farzand Wazir outrightly denied the claim, insisting he never received any aid and had no role in the matter. He said Malik Habib was responsible for receiving and distributing relief goods and should be asked directly.
The conflicting statements have cast further doubt in the matter. The missing packages, contradictory claims, and unanswered correspondence have turned the matter into a major scandal. Families in Kurram have demanded that the government conduct a transparent investigation and ensure the relief goods reach the rightful beneficiaries.
Former federal minister Sajid Hussain Turi also expressed concern over the scandal. He said that during the tenure of the former chairman, 2,000 relief packages were earmarked for Kurram’s victims, but they never surfaced. He told The News that the packages were sent to KP but no details about their whereabouts or distribution have been made public since then.
