At Least 37 Killed In Sectarian Violence In Pak’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province

Peshawar: At least 37 people were killed and several others injured in tribal sectarian violence in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province over last 24 hours, police said on Saturday even as government officials said negotiations with local and tribal elders to restore peace are progressing successfully.

The clashes between Alizai and Bagan tribes in Kurram district, bordering Afghanistan, in northwest Pakistan took place following Thursday's attack on a convoy of passenger vans near Parachinar in which 47 people were killed.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has issued clear instructions to resolve all issues through dialogue and negotiations, ensuring long-term stability in the region, a government spokesperson said.

“At least 37 are dead as at now,” an official tasked with collecting details of the carnage told the media here. More than 30 people are injured, he added.

The tribes are targeting each other with heavy and automatic weapons, police said.

Homes and shops have been damaged in the fighting and people from various villages have fled to safer locations.

All educational institutions in the district remained closed on Saturday, confirmed Muhammad Hayat Hassan, chairman of the Private Education Network.

Videos shared from the area showed at least six bodies of the attackers and some charred bodies of the victims. Police also said that there were reports of six women taken as captives but “due to limited connectivity, information and communication is scant to ascertain anything more.” Gunfire continued in Balishkhel, Khar Kali, Kunj Alizai and Maqbal through the day, police said, adding, currently there is intermittent firing from at least three areas in the district, while the Thall-Sada-Parachinar Highway remained closed from traffic towards Kohat district.

As officials struggled to reinforce peace in the volatile region, communication from the elders of both the tribal sects suggested further intensified attacks.

Meanwhile, the KP provincial government dismissed reports of firing at a helicopter carrying a high-level government delegation comprising Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law Minister, Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police going towards the Kurram tribal district.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesman Barrister Dr Saif dismissed as “baseless” the reports of firing on the helicopter in Parachinar area and confirmed that the delegation was completely safe.

The government delegation was engaged in dialogue with local leaders and tribal elders in Kurram to restore peace and stability following the directives of the chief minister, the spokesman said, adding, peace negotiations were progressing successfully between the two sides.

The government's top priority was facilitating a ceasefire between the two parties and establishing a lasting peace, he added.

In the first phase, constructive meetings were held with Shia community leaders, during which critical issues were discussed in depth while in the next phase, deliberations would be conducted with the Sunni community leaders, he added.

The government's top priority is to facilitate a ceasefire between both parties and establish lasting peace, the spokesperson added.

Tribal leaders have already expressed deep concerns as for the past one and a half months, they had been demanding the government to ensure safe travel for common citizens.

Two weeks ago, more than 1,00,000 people participated in a peace march to reopen and secure the main highway, after which the government assured them of safe convoys.

In September, more than 50 people were killed and 120 others injured in clashes spread over eight days between Shia and Sunni tribes over a piece of land in Kurram district.

The intensity of the fighting had led to the closure of the Parachinar-Peshawar main road and the Pak-Afghan Kharlachi border, disrupting transportation and movement.

The road blockade has caused a shortage of essential items, including food, fuel, and medicines, worsening the situation for residents.

The fighting had spread to areas such as Balishkhel, Sadda, Khar Kallay, Peewar and Maqbal in the district, which borders Afghanistan's Khost, Paktia, Logar and Nangarhar provinces, which are considered strongholds of the ISIS and the Pakistan Taliban.

Similar clashes in the same region in July left dozens of people dead and more than 225 injured.