Death toll from Pakistan sectarian clashes rises to 133

THE DEATH death toll from ongoing sectarian violence in northwest Pakistan has climbed to 133, according to the provincial government. Efforts by tribal elders to mediate a truce between Sunni and Shiite Muslim communities have so far failed to yield results.

The clashes have been concentrated in Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border. While Pakistan has a Sunni-majority population, Kurram is home to a significant Shiite community, and tensions between the groups have led to decades of violence.

A statement issued after a provincial cabinet meeting reported: “At least 133 precious lives have been lost, and 177 people injured” in clashes that began on 21 November. The statement added that bunkers set up by armed groups in Kurram would be dismantled, and heavy weaponry confiscated.

The violence intensified last Thursday when two convoys of Shiite Muslims travelling under police escort were ambushed, resulting in over 40 deaths. Since then, heavy and light weapons have been used in the fighting, leading to road closures and disruptions to mobile phone services.

“2024 has been extremely tough for Kurram,” said Anfal Hussain, a pharmacy owner in the Parachinar area. Hussain explained how road closures due to the clashes have caused severe shortages of food and medical supplies. “Many major illnesses cannot be treated in Parachinar's hospitals, but they remain helpless due to the road closures,” he told AFP.

Security officials in Peshawar said on Friday that efforts to broker a truce, with the help of tribal elders, were making progress. “There are only two villages now where the sporadic firing is still taking place,” a senior official told AFP on condition of anonymity. However, previous ceasefire agreements have failed to halt the violence.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported 79 deaths in the region from July to October in similar sectarian clashes. Disputes over land often reignite the violence, which is also driven by underlying sectarian tensions.

Kurram, previously part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas, was merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018. Despite the merger, local police have continued to struggle with maintaining order in the area.

(With inputs from AFP)