Islamabad: What began as a minor dispute between two families over sowing of crops has turned into massive sectarian, tribal clashes, leaving at least 46 dead and more than 80 injured within eight days in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province’s Kurram tribal district bordering Afghanistan.
For decades, the district has been one of the most dangerous areas in Pakistan, not only due to the spread of terrorism and militant groups but also related to land claim conflicts between rival factions. These factions have been fighting each other for decades, with the roots of their conflict often traced back to historical disputes and power struggles.
“The district administration, police, military, and local tribal elders are doing their best to convince the warring factions that a ceasefire would be in everyone’s best interest,” said Javedullah Mehsud, Deputy Commissioner of Kurram.
A ceasefire agreement was reached on Wednesday, with both sides agreeing to halt all hostilities and engage in peace talks. However, armed clashes continued in the upper, lower and central tehsils of the Kurram district, indicating the fragility of the agreement.
Locals of the area said that the claimed number of casualties on both sides will undoubtedly be much higher.
Police in Maharashtra to Identify Burial Place for Deceased Badlapur Rape Accused
“The death toll is much higher than it is being reported. At least 80 people have already been injured. We are still not sure how long this fight will continue because both sides have severe rivalry against each other on not only land claims but also on sectarian terms as one party is from Sunni and the other from Shia sect,” said a representative from one of the warring factions.
The severity of the conflict is so high that the Parachinar-Peshawar main road and the Pak-Afghan Kharlachi border has been closed. Reports from the area also suggest that due to the blockade of routes, there is a fast-growing shortage of food, fuel and medicines. All educational institutions in the region have been closed for six days.
Local sources confirmed that severe clashes in areas including Baliskhel, Kharkalay, Bagki, Gram Pada, Kunj Alizai, Muqbal, and Pewar Tari Mengal are still underway.
“These families have been fighting each other for decades. Both have military-grade weapons, and they do not need support or attention from the government or the military to fight each other. There is a serious sectarian divide here, and we have seen in the past that even the most respected means of dispute resolution through the Tribal Jirgas (councils) have miserably failed to end the conflict,” said another local.
People in the region complain that missiles are also being fired towards the Parachinar city, leaving the whole population at risk.
A Sunni and Shia tribal war is no surprise in Kurram district as Parachinar has been the epicentre of sectarian clashes, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides for a long time now.
For more updates Subscribe to Media Eye News
–IANS
