Tribal clashes in KP’s Kurram claim 2 more lives as death toll rises to 11
Ongoing fighting between two tribes over a piece of land in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram tribal district claimed two more lives on Tuesday, taking the total number of casualties to 11.
The clashes started five days ago in the Boshehra Dandar area and spread to other areas including Khar Kallay, Baleshkhel, Pewar, Gidu, Teri Mengal, Karman Para Chamkani, Maqbal and Kunj Alizai.
People in the affected areas are facing a persistent shortage of food items, medicine and fuel due to the blockade of roads. Educational institutions have been closed and normal life has also been hit.
A day earlier, protests were held in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and other areas of the country against the tense situation in Kurram.
On Tuesday, clashes were reported in Pewar, Gidu, Baleshkhel, Khar Kallay, Sadda, Chamkani and Kunj Alizai. Kurram District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Medical Superintendent Dr Qaiser Abbas Banghash confirmed the updated death toll to Dawn.com, adding that 67 people had been injured in the clashes so far.
Meanwhile, Kurram Deputy Commissioner Syed Saiful Islam Shah stated that efforts were being made in cooperation with tribal elders to halt the clashes.
He said that ceasefire agreements had been made in place in various parts of the district but lamented that they were being violated.
Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sajid Hussain Turi said that he was personally taking part in negotiations aimed at achieving a ceasefire.
He said that Kohat Commissioner Muhammad Ali Shah and other police officials had also reached Parachinar. “We will soon restore peace in the area and armed forces will be posted in the war zones,” the minister said.
“Due to repeated violation of the ceasefire agreements, the situation has not yet been brought under control,” he said. The minister called on the provincial and federal governments to take immediate steps in order to stop the clashes.
He emphasised the need for taking action against those who were persistently violating the ceasefire agreements.
Govt urged to take notice
Earlier today, Awami National Party (ANP) leaders held a sit-in outside the Parachinar Press Club.
Talking to Dawn.com, ANP leader Noshi Banghash said it was disappointing that neither the federal nor provincial governments had taken notice of the clashes and loss of lives in Kurram.
He warned that if action was not taken immediately, protests would be held across the country.
Meanwhile, civil society member Tanveer Hussain said that clashes had caused fear and panic to spread among the people in the district. “We can hear the echo of missiles and rockets across the district,” he said.
He went on to say that there was a shortage of medicines and essential food items in the area due to road blockades. “The government should have some mercy on residents and put an end to these clashes as soon as possible,” Hussain added.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the deadly clashes. It said there were “alarming reports of rising militancy feeding into local conflicts”.
“The government must immediately undertake to resolve all sectarian differences peacefully and restore law and order to this region,” it said.
“We also remind the state that it pledged to mainstream the newly merged districts in 2018 and secure all citizens’ right to life and security while providing them access to healthcare, education and livelihoods. This pledge remains unmet despite the allocation of Accelerated Implementation Programme funds,” the HRCP said.