September 28, 2024
By Adnan Haider and Rehan Piracha
PARACHINAR
The clashes between rival tribes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district have entered day nine. While the administration has secured a ceasefire in Lower Kurram, heavily-armed tribesmen continue to exchange rocket and mortar fire in other parts of the region.
So far, more than 40 people have been killed and over a hundred wounded in these clashes that began with a dispute among two families over the construction of a bunker.
The continued clashes have taken a heavy toll on the residents of Parachinar, the district’s main city. The only highway from Parachinar to Peshawar has been closed to traffic, reducing the availability of food items, petrol and medicines. The Pak-Afghan Kharlachi border point in the district remains shut for any cross-border traffic.
According to shopkeepers and businessmen, the fighting has created panic in the area and reduced business activity to a minimum. “There is no fresh supply of poultry, vegetables and fruits coming to the market due to the highway closure,” said Muhammad Amin, a shopkeeper.
“People are facing difficulty in buying fresh foodstuff which is in short supply,” he added.
The residents expressed their anger at the local administration for failing to stop the fighting. “Every morning brings news of a jirga brokering peace, but by dusk, this hope crumbles to dust,” said Abbas Ali.
He added the bazaars and markets presented a deserted look as people focused more on securing food supplies.
The weeklong tribal clashes have put a question mark on the government’s writ to restore peace and order in the district. All public and private educational institutions remain closed in Parachinar since September 20. Residents say that their children have not slept for many nights due to the loud sounds of mortars and rockets exploding in areas surrounding the city.
“Unfortunately, the children of Kurram are being deprived of education due to a planned conspiracy over the years,” said Asif Ali, a resident of Parachinar.
He said the sporadic tribal clashes have cut schoolgoing days to just three to four months in the year, adding that students feel unsafe in their classroom fearing that a mortar or rocket might hit their school.
The clashes have led many families, mostly women and children, to leave their homes in villages and take shelter in mosques, imambargahs, and relatives’ houses in other safer areas. “The residents, including women, children, and the elderly, in Kurrum have lost their peace of mind,” said Sahukat Hussain, another resident of Parachinar.
He appealed to the provincial government to take measures to restore its writ in the district.
According to Deputy Commissioner Javidullah Mehsud, a ceasefire took effect in lower Kurram’s areas of Sadda, Balshakhail, Khar Kale, and Sangina, while efforts were underway to stop fighting in the rest of the district.
According to Chief Minister’s Advisor on Information, Barrister Saif, the provincial government was taking measures to find a lasting solution to the internecine clashes in Kurram district. Last month, 46 people were killed and 200 injured in clashes over a land dispute in Kurram district.
Kurram has been in the grip of tribal clashes for decades in which hundreds of people have lost their lives. The administration has tried to persuade warring groups to reconcile with the help of local jirgas, but this process has failed to bring lasting peace to the border district.