File photo. Basit Gilani—AFP
Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Minister Sajid Hussain Turi on Wednesday urged the federal and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments to take immediate steps to restore law and order in Kurram district, which has seen several clashes between rival groups over the past week, reportedly due to a land dispute.
At least 11 people have been killed and 77 others injured in the clashes, according to local media. Turi, who hails from Kurram, said he had spent the past three days in his constituency in an attempt to broker peace but “violent elements” continued to clash despite multiple ceasefires. He told media that the district administration, local elders and security forces had all tried to broker peace, but each ceasefire collapses with renewed clashes that are endangering the lives of residents.
He assured journalists that he was in touch with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Principal Secretary to the P.M. Tauqir Shah and the military’s 11 Corps over the unrest, adding he had appealed to both the federal and provincial governments for assistance. The ongoing clashes, he warned, were causing irreparable damage to peace in the district.
Similarly, PPP leader and minister of State Faisal Karim Kundi urged the prime minister to intervene and end the conflict before it spiraled out of control. In a statement, he advised the convening of a Jirga to address the issue before the start of Muharram. He also rubbished media reports alleging a sectarian conflict, stressing the clashes were the result of a land dispute between two tribes.
On Tuesday, the KP Home and Tribal Affairs Department issued a statement announcing a 30-member Jirga had traveled to Kurram to end the hostilities. It said every effort had been made to resolve the “longstanding land disputes in Kurram” and normalize the situation even before the current round of clashes started on July 7. “There are eight different land disputes going on in central, lower and upper areas of Kurram district, most of which date back to pre-independence time,” it said, adding that Section 144 had been imposed to discourage groups from gathering, while negotiations were ongoing between the tribes.
The current bout of unrest began on July 7 (Friday), as heavily armed tribesmen took positions and suddenly started fighting. The first clash resulted in five deaths and 23 injuries, with district administration claiming the matter had been resolved through a local Jirga and a ceasefire achieved. However, the clashes that night and shortly spread to other areas of Kurram, with the pattern repeating for the past week.
In a bid to end the longstanding land dispute, the government—through the Board of Revenue—has notified a high-level Revenue Commission. The commission, accompanied by elders of the area, visited Kurram on June 6 and June 20, with the government announcing that a third visit is planned this week.