Regional officials in Pakistan’s Kurram agency announced the reopening Oct. 29 of Parachinar-Thal road, which had been effectively closed since at least 2007 due to fighting between Sunni and Shiite tribesmen in the area and attacks by militants. As the main transit route through Kurram agency, the road is strategically significant. Forming a wedge of Pakistani territory jutting into Afghanistan, Kurram agency in the past has been used to project influence from the east into Afghanistan and particularly Kabul — which is only 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Pakistani border — making its value to the Haqqani network obvious. Both Parachinar and Thal are areas where the Haqqani network and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are known to operate safe-houses and use for logistics and training purposes, and opening up the road would facilitate travel for the militants between the two cities. Thus far, reports indicate that the Sunni and Shiite tribesmen themselves appear to have initiated the cease-fire agreement and allowed traffic on the road to resume. If the Haqqanis had nothing to do with implementing the deal, the tribesmen likely will not allow them greater movement along the road — thus making it possible that the Haqqanis will try to close the road. If arrangements have been made between the Haqqani network, TTP and the tribes in the region to allow the road to stay open, then we will most likely see increased militant traffic on this route. With the United States cracking down on the Haqqani network in and around the Miran Shah area, the road through Kurram could provide an alternative for militants seeking to cross between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
