- Law Minster says provincial govt decides to form high-powered commission to settle Kurram land disputes among warring tribes
- High level delegation holds Jirga meeting with Shia elders, to meet Sunni elders tomorrow
PESHAWAR/KURRAM: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has been making frantic efforts for a ceasefire between warring tribes in Kurram district and decided to constitute a high-powered commission to settle land disputes as tribal-sectarian clashes continued with the killing of 37 people in firing since overnight, including 18 on Saturday.
The provincial government intensified its efforts with a jirga meeting held to restore peace in Kurram district and end the tribal-sectarian clashes erupted following Thursday’s deadly attack, when a convoy of around 200 vehicles came under heavy gunfire in Kurram’s densely populated Bagan town, killing at least 43 people and injuring 16 others.
The convoy was carrying passengers between Peshawar and Parachinar city, which is in Kurram, a district near the Afghanistan border with a history of sectarian violence and land disputes.
“The death toll is still rising” an official tasked with collecting details of the carnage told The Khorasan Diary, evidence shared with TKD from the area shows at least six bodies of the attackers and some charred bodies of those that were attacked.
Officials and state functionaries could not reach the area due to heightened tensions, but one official who managed to bring out some injured before the firing begun again this morning had captured some visuals from the area which showed an entire village market, homes and government buildings gutted by fire as a response to the attack on passenger vans resulting in 47 deaths including women and children.
There were reports of 6 women taken as captives but due to limited connectivity information and communication was scant to ascertain more.
According to the security personnel, communication from elders of both sects suggested that a message had been sent across for further intensified attacks. Currently there was intermittent firing from at least three points in the district, while the Thall-Sada-Parachinar Highway has remained closed from Kohat district, as officials struggle to reinforce a volatile peace.
The KP government on Saturday sent a high-level delegation to Kurram to improve the security situation in the area, comprising KP Law Minister Aftab Alam, KP Chief Secretary (CS) Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, the Kohat Division commissioner and deputy inspector general of police, and other high-level officials.
The delegation was tasked with taking measures to improve the security situation and also make efforts to utilise the local jirga for the purpose.
The KP Law Minister said that recommendations would be forwarded to the chief minister, adding that all departments were making tireless efforts to improve the law and order situation in Kurram.
Alam, who led the efforts to peace restoration, told the media that the KP government has decided to form a high-powered commission to settle land disputes among the warring tribes in Kurram.
He said a government delegation held a meeting with and spoke to various stakeholders in Kurram, saying that the biggest issue in the district was land disputes.
“There were very positive meetings with one stakeholder group and the government delegation was assured of cooperation.
“A report will be made on all the incidents taking place in Kurram and presented to the chief minister and other senior officials,” he said.
Alam said a new high-level commission would be established to resolve the Kurram disputes since all commissions and committees previously formed were not acceptable to any of the parties.
“This time, the commission will be formed according to the wishes of the parties,” he said, adding that it would be acceptable to everyone. Alam said the land disputes between the various groups in Kurram were being given the colour of sectarian riots, adding that it was wrong to do so.
The provincial law minister said the report on Kurram’s issues would also be presented in a meeting of the apex committee.
Meanwhile, KP government spokesperson Barrister Dr Muhammad Ali Saif said the government delegation held a jirga with district elders on KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s instructions.
“Efforts are being made to resolve all issues amicably to end the tension. Detailed meetings were held with Shia leaders today, positive discussions were held to resolve the issues. Meetings will also be held with Sunni leaders in the next phase,” he said.
Saif added that the government’s first priority was to establish a ceasefire between the warring sides and establish lasting peace.
“The KP CM has clear instructions that all issues should be resolved through dialogue.”
Sajid Hussain Turi, a former PPP MNA from Kurram and one of the meeting’s participants, told Dawn.com after the jirga that KP Inspector General of Police (IG) Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur, CS Chaudhry and others attended the jirga meeting.
He lamented that the security provided to the convoy that was attacked was less than the required amount.
Turi said another round of talks was scheduled for tomorrow, with provincial government officials, military officials and others expected to attend.
“The jirga came to a decision that they will discuss with the chief minister, the corps commander and the federal government,” Turi said. “It is very important to have both sides present.”
He added that there was a jirga being planned in lower Kurram, but maintained that there needed to be a ceasefire for that to happen. “We have been very clear, we will not do anything without a ceasefire,” he said. “We have ceased fire from our side.”
He said the KP chief secretary, Barrister Saif, Alam, KP IG and brigade commander would also attend tomorrow’s meeting.
Kurram Deputy Commissioner (DC) Javedullah Mehsud said efforts were being made to re-establish peace in the area, reiterating yesterday’s statement.
DC Mehsud said officials of security forces and local administration attended the meeting convened at the DC Conference Hall.
“With the help of local elders, forces and the administration, peace will be established as soon as possible,” the official said.
According to witnesses, the vehicles in Thursday’s attack were ambushed from four sides. Muhammad, a 14-year-old survivor, told Dawn that the assault lasted around 30 minutes.
Authorities said that the victims included seven women and three children, with 16 others injured — 11 of whom are in critical condition.
KP CM appeals to all parties for ceasefire
Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur appealed to the warring for ceasefire, saying the provincial government has been making strenuous efforts for a peaceful and sustainable solution to the Kurram conflict.
According to a press release issued from the CM’s House, CM Gandapur held a virtual meeting via video link with the government delegation after the jirga and reviewed the current situation in the district while being briefed on development in the talks with elders of the area.
The government delegation also presented its initial report to the chief minister. It informed the chief minister about the suggestions and demands of the Shia elders it met today, adding that a similar meeting would be held with Sunni elders on Sunday.
“The provincial government is making serious efforts for a peaceful and sustainable solution to the Kurram conflict. I am personally monitoring the situation in Kurram,” CM Gandapur said, adding that Thursday’s incident was “extremely regrettable and condemnable” and he shared in the grief of the affected families.
“Efforts are being made to ensure that such tragic incidents do not recur. The provincial government will decide the future course of action in the light of consultation with the elders of the area.
“Whatever the legitimate demands of the parties are will definitely be fulfilled. The government delegation should sit with the parties and the elders of the area and present final proposals,” he said.
CM Gandapur stressed that a ceasefire in the area was indispensable to move towards resolving the conflict and urged all parties to observe one so that progress could be made towards ending current tensions.
“Regional elders and elders should fully cooperate with the government delegation and local administration in this regard. Establishing peace in the region is the top priority of the provincial government at present, all available options will be utilised for this purpose.
‘Reports of ‘attack’ on KP govt’s chopper in Kurram baseless’
Earlier in the day, reports were making rounds in the media about an alleged firing attack on the helicopter carrying the government delegation in Parachinar, but KP Law Minister Aftab Alam and Advisor on Information Barrister Saif described the news was “baseless,” saying nothing of the sort happened.
“The news of the firing on the helicopter is false and members of the government delegation, including me, is safe,” the provincial minister said.
According to him, the provincial spokesperson reports about the firing on the helicopter were entirely baseless and a product of propaganda spread by news channels without proper authentication.
Parachiner, its surroundings come to halt due to protests
The businesses, educational institutions and markets remained closed across Parachinar and surrounding areas while mobile service and internet have also shut down across the Kurram district, in an effort to counter the “extremely tense” situation.
The officials said a curfew had been “imposed on the main road connecting Upper and Lower Kurram”.
Thousands of people participated in a sit-in in Parachinar, where protesters criticised the government’s failure to protect civilians. Hundreds also demonstrated in Lahore and Karachi.
The attack was widely condemned, including by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari, as well as political parties.
