PESHAWAR: Blood feuds in the provincial capital have become so violent that some police stations here have registered more murder cases than most districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“Only the Badaber Police Station in Peshawar registered 68 murder cases in one year-more than double the figures of most districts in the province,” an official told The News.Even the larger district of Swat recorded only 37 cases in the same period, almost half of those registered at a single police station in Peshawar.
Several other rural police stations in the capital have also reported a high number of murder cases, as blood feuds in these areas have persisted for decades.In a recent incident, five people traveling in a car were ambushed and killed by their rivals in the Mashokhel area under the jurisdiction of Badaber Police Station. The victims were returning home when they were attacked.
Relatives said the enmity had existed for over 20 years, though no violent clashes had occurred in recent years. Notably, two of the victims were not even close family members of the targeted group.
The rising gun culture and the government’s failure to control it have made these enmities even more violent.A few months ago, eight members of a family were murdered by close relatives in Balukhel, Badaber, over a minor financial dispute.
Similarly, five people were killed and six others wounded when rivals opened fire on a vehicle in the Michni Gate Police Station limits a few months back.Each year, hundreds of people are killed in blood feuds across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as intolerance continues to grow.
Traditional jirgas and other alternative dispute resolution forums are no longer as effective as they once were. Many wanted individuals involved in these feuds remain at large, further escalating the violence.
In recent months, rival groups have even taken to social media to issue threats. Many upload videos and photos posing with armed guards to intimidate their adversaries.In 2024, as many as 574 people were killed in shooting incidents across Peshawar in the first 11 months alone. Among them were 49 women and 11 children, while 804 others were injured.
Most of these killings stemmed from long-standing enmities, while some were triggered by minor disputes.After years of bloodshed, many citizens believe that the government, police, and society must take effective steps to end these feuds, which pose a severe threat to law and order.
Some of these disputes, which began over trivial issues, have lasted for decades, claiming scores of lives, including innocent bystanders.Reports indicate that heavily armed groups involved in these feuds not only move freely in convoys but are also engaged in criminal activities such as land grabbing and extortion. These groups often receive backing from influential families, politicians, and other powerful individuals who use them for own purposes.
A few years ago, Saddar Division Police identified over 130 ongoing blood feuds, with armed men from both sides posing a constant threat to security. Of these, 58 were concentrated in the Matani Police Station limits alone.
Besides Saddar, violent enmities persist in the Rural, City, Faqirabad, Warsak, and Cantt divisions of Peshawar, as well as in several other districts of KP, particularly rural areas where the gun culture is thriving.
Whenever the police have taken action against armed rival groups in the past, the public has welcomed it and urged similar efforts in other areas to prevent further bloodshed.The police should especially target groups that use armed conflict as a cover for criminal activities such as land grabbing. Some of these individuals claim to have received threats and, under this pretext, have acquired multiple weapon licenses and permits to evade legal action.
In many areas, citizens have called for the revival of Dispute Resolution Councils (DRCs) and Public Liaison Committees. However, these forums often include individuals with vested interests, appointed by local police officers for personal gains, rendering them ineffective.
To address this crisis, authorities must actively involve and support respected elders in jirgas to mediate and resolve disputes, strengthen and reform DRCs to ensure transparency and effectiveness and launch a decisive crackdown on armed groups threatening law and order, regardless of their political or social influence.If implemented properly, these measures can help settle many longstanding feuds and bring much-needed peace.