The first convoy of relief goods finally reaches Parachinar, indicating that the peace accord is holding
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he situation has started easing in the violence-hit Kurram district following the January 1 peace agreement reached through a tribal jirga. The district, which borders Afghanistan, was up in arms for over three months as neighbouring tribes, divided along sectarian lines, waged a terrible war against each other. The latest outburst of violence started after a convoy was targeted by militants in Bagan on November 21. The shooting claimed at least 43 lives. The victims included children and women.
The political dynamics of Kurram district, which borders Afghanistan, are different from other tribal districts. It is home to more than 700,000 people. The district is divided into three tehsils: Upper Kurram, Central Kurram and Lower Kurram. Shias (a dominant majority in Upper Kurram) and Sunnis are perennially hostile to each other. As a result, any skirmish, small scale tribal issue or land dispute can easily escalate into a sectarian conflict.
The district has a history of such conflicts. Large scale violence had erupted in 2007 and lasted till 2011 when peace was finally agreed through a jirga held in Murree. Hundreds of people were killed in the fighting that started over a piece of land in Upper Kurram.
Sporadic attacks on one another have taken place in the recent past as well. In July 2024, dozens of people were killed in clashes that started over an old land dispute. The skirmishes in July last year too ended with the intervention of a jirga. When such fighting is on, civilians have to travel in convoys from Lower to Upper Kurram via the Tal-Parachinar Road. This main artery to Parachinar had been closed since November 2024. Resultantly, Upper Kurram faced a severe shortage of medicines, food and other essential commodities.
The November 21 shooting, caused great anger among rival tribes who took up arms against each other again. More than a hundred lives were lost in the ensuing clashes. The November 21 attack on the convoy was considered a response to an attack on a convoy which had come under attack in Upper Kurram on October 12.
Both Shia and Sunni communities deny involvement in such attacks and have condemned attacks against each other. However, both communities also condemn their rivals and hold them responsible for the violence.
On November 22, following the convoy attack, thousands of gunmen were said to have attacked Bagan, burning down its bazaar and some of the nearby villages in Lower Kurram. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority data, more than 730 houses in villages Tauda Cheena, Daraz Rawaz, Badshah Kot, Tallo Qunj and Navi Kali of Bagan were damaged. More than 460 shops were also burnt during the attack.
On November 22, following the convoy attack, thousands of gunmen were said have attacked Bagan, burning down its bazaar as well as some of the nearby villages in the Lower Kurram. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority data, more than 730 houses in villages Tauda Cheena, Daraz Rawaz, Badshah Kot, Tallo Qunj and Navi Kali were damaged. More than 460 shops were set ablaze during the attack.
On January 1, a jirga facilitated by the government signed a seven-page peace agreement. The document said that keeping in view the post-merger realities, members of the Kurram Peace Committee and both sides would be bound to uphold the Muree Agreement 2008 and other agreements in the interest of maintaining peace. The agreement urges the authorities to take strict action against those trespassing on public roads. Village peace committee will cooperate with the government and law enforcement agencies. βIn case of an untoward incident on the main road, residents of the nearby villages will be required to prove their innocence in line with the Kurram traditions,β it said. Regarding the repatriation of displaced people under the Murree Agreement, the jirga agreed that they would be rehabilitated in their native areas. The long standing land disputes in Gedu, Pewar Alizai, Balishkhel, Dandar, Ghoz Ghari, Nisti Kot, Kunj Alizai, Shorko, Sadda and Bagan Alizai will be resolved in the light of revenue record, local tradition and land commission terms of reference.
Even after the peace agreement, the main Tal-Parachinar Road remained closed for several days as people of Lower Kurram wanted compensation for their houses and shops first. On January 4, Deputy Commissioner Javidullah Mehsud was shot and injured near Bagan. Both the federal and provincial government reacted strongly to the attack.
It took a few more days for the government to persuade the elders of Lower Kurram to allow the food and medicine convoy to travel to Upper Kurram. On January 8, the aid convoy, comprising 40 vehicles, reached Parachinar.
Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, the spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, has announced that a convoy of vehicles carrying relief supplies, including food and medicines, had reached Parachinar. He said more such convoys would be dispatched to the restive district. Saif added that 10 trucks had also arrived in Bagan. Commending the cooperation extended by local elders for maintaining peace, Saif said the role of jirgas and peace committees was significant towards long-term stability in the region. He said that the government would further strengthen collaboration and had a strategy to include all stakeholders in the process. The KP government spokesperson sought to reassure the public that the government was not only focused on relief activities but was also making comprehensive plans for the long-term development and stability of the affected areas. He added that development could not be achieved without peace. He said the government was committed to ensuring peace in the region. Bazaars in Parachinar have reportedly reopened and people are flocking to the shop to purchase supplies.
This scribe travelled to Kurram up to Irfani Kali on January 6. The villages looked deserted and people were scared. Roadside bunkers were still heavily stocked with firearms and many people roamed around with guns slung across their shoulders. Everyone described themselves as a victim and was angry and dissatisfied with the government. The writ of the government looked weak. Both sides complained that even children and women had been targeted in sheer violation of the Pashtun honour code.
Tribal elders from both sects said militants were still present in both Upper and Lower Kurram. They also expressed fear that fighting could again break out in the region. However, none of the banned militant outfits have claimed responsibility for attacks in the area.
The writer, a journalist, has covered militancy and crime in northwest Pakistan for nearly two decades. Follow him at @RasoolDawar