January 4, 2025
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
The Kurram Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud was wounded after his convoy was fired at. Three other paramilitary personnel were also wounded in the incident that happened near Bagan town in Lower Kurram on Saturday, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif.
According to security sources, Mehsud had gone to Bagan to talk with the residents who were holding a sit-in, and to ask them to clear the highway for the inaugural convoy of vehicles carrying supplies to the district under the recently signed peace agreement between warring tribes from Sunni and Shia sects on January 1.
Despite the treaty, Kurram residents have continued with their protest sit-ins demanding the opening of roads. The primary protest against road closures in the district is being held outside the Parachinar Press Club while a separate protest is also underway in Bagan area, where residents are demanding compensation for damages incurred to homes and markets.
Barrister Saif, the Chief Minister’s Advisor on Information, informed that the wounded deputy commissioner was shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Alizai.
“Mehsud is out of danger and arrangements are being made to transfer him to Peshawar by helicopter for further treatment, he added. Local authorities launched an investigation into the incident to determine the motives behind the attack and to apprehend the perpetrators. Security forces were deployed to the area to maintain law and order. Senior government officials including Saif, Kohat Commissioner Mutasim Billah Shah, and Kohat Deputy Inspector General (DIG) also reached Bagan after the attack.
Inaugural supplies convoy departure halted
The incident occurred as a humanitarian convoy, bearing essential supplies including food, was poised to depart for Kurram, marking the end of an over 80-day blockade that had isolated the turbulent region. “The convoy has been stopped for now due to security reasons,” said Saif. The provincial government’s spokesperson had reached Kohat last night to oversee security arrangements for the departure of the inaugural supplies convoy to Kurram.
In a statement earlier, Saif said the convoy of 75 vehicles would be sent to Kurram in a security cordon. The convoy includes trucks carrying food items, medicines, gas cylinders, and other essential commodities. He said a deweaponisation drive would be launched in Kurram in light of the decision of the provincial Apex Committee comprising government and military officials.
According to the agreement, tribes from both sects will submit a coordinated action plan within 15 days for weapons collection. A ban will be imposed on the open display and use of weapons in the district. No fundraising will be permitted for purchasing weapons.
Furthermore, the construction of all types of bunkers by both parties will be prohibited. Existing bunkers in the area will be dismantled within a month. Following bunker demolition, any party initiating an attack will be deemed a terrorist, and stringent action will be taken against them.
CM seeks report over incident
In a statement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur strongly condemned the incident and sought a report from the authorities. “This incident is a deliberate and nefarious but unsuccessful attempt to sabotage the government’s efforts to establish peace in the district,” he said. Strict action will be taken against those involved in the firing. “This incident is the work of those who do not want peace to be restored in Kurram.”
The provincial government is committed to restoring peace in Kurram and resolving the problems faced by the people, Gandapur said. He said that the agreement between the parties was proof that the people of Kurram were peaceful and wanted peace in the area. “The provincial government and the people of the area will together thwart the nefarious attempts of such miscreants.”
Chief Minister Gandapur urged the people to cooperate with the government in identifying these elements and bringing them to justice. “This unfortunate incident will not affect the efforts of the government and elders to restore peace in Kurram,” he added.
Condemnation
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the incident in their separate statements. ““The firing on an aid convoy is clear proof of incompetence and failure of the provincial government,” Kundi said, adding that he would pray for the speedy recovery of DC Mehsud.
In a statement on X, Naqvi termed the attack a ‘conspiracy to sabotage the peace agreement’.
PDMA dispatches aid to Kurram
Around 17 truckloads of relief goods were sent to Kurram, following instructions from Gandapur, as announced by the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). The aid, handed over to the Kurram administration under the supervision of Naik Muhammad Khan, included essential items like tents, mats, blankets, beds, medical kits, tarpaulins, pillows, solar lamps, and sleeping bags to provide immediate relief to victims battling severe cold.
According to Naik Khan, the Kurram victims face immense hardships, exacerbated by the extreme cold, prompting the KP government to prioritize their assistance. The government is utilizing all resources to ensure immediate rehabilitation. The PDMA and district administration are working closely to address the victims’ needs. Naik Khan assured transparent relief distribution and reiterated the provincial government’s commitment to supporting the victims.
The KP government is collaborating with institutions to rehabilitate the victims swiftly. The relief supplies comprised: 500 tents, 500 mats, 500 blankets, and 500 beds; 500 medical protective kits; 200 tarpaulins, 500 pillows, 50 solar lamps, and 150 sleeping bags.
Long-standing land disputes have sparked violent clashes in Kurram, resulting in over 200 fatalities since July, while prolonged road blockades have led to severe shortages of food and medicine.