PESHAWAR: As the death toll from a bloody dispute in the Kurram tribal district reached 11 with two more deaths on Tuesday, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government requested the federal government to deploy additional military and paramilitary troops under Article 245 to put an end to the conflict.
The clash started on July 7 between inhabitants of Dandar Sehra and Boshehra, resulting in more than 70 injuries. Both sides used heavy and automatic weapons during the fighting.
The ongoing clashes have led to a shortage of essential goods, including food, due to road blockades. The environment in the area is tense and filled with fear.
Clashes continued on Tuesday in various areas of Kurram, including Pewar, Gido, Balishkhel, Khar Killay, Sadda, Para Chamkani, Muqbal, and Kunj Alizai.
Dr. Qaiser Abbas of the Parachinar District Headquarters Hospital reported two deaths and 25 injuries from Tuesday’s clashes. The injured were transferred to different hospitals for treatment.
PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to intervene in order to prevent further escalation.
The KP Home and Tribal Affairs Department stated that a 30-member jirga (assembly of elders) had been sent to Kurram to address hostilities arising from land disputes. The jirga, supervised by the deputy commissioner, held meetings with elders in Sadda and Parachinar to find a resolution.
The department has made efforts to resolve longstanding land disputes in Kurram. There are eight different disputes spanning the central, lower, and upper areas of the district.
The district administration, with the assistance of police and prominent elders, initiated negotiations and deployed law enforcement personnel to restore normalcy. The authorities have implemented Section 144, which prohibits gatherings of more than four people, to curb the violence.
The KP government recently established a high-level revenue commission to settle measured and unmeasured land issues in Kurram. The commission, along with local elders, has made previous visits and has another planned for this week.
The press note highlighted reports of false news on social media, to portray the conflict as a sectarian clash. Strict monitoring of social media is in place to address such activities.
Kurram DC Saiful Islam Shah and local elders are working to end the hostilities, but various areas have witnessed repeated ceasefire violations.
Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Sajid Turi expressed concern over the repeated ceasefire violations and called on the federal and provincial governments to take necessary steps to control law and order. He also called for action against those repeatedly violating the ceasefire.
The ongoing clashes have resulted in road closures, causing shortages of food, medicines, and fuel. Residents, such as Tanveer Hussain, expressed fear and urged authorities to swiftly resolve the hostilities.
