Unease continues to pervade Pakistan’s northwest Kurram district following the violent clash, which has claimed the lives of at least 99 individuals and left at least 156 wounded. As reported by the Pakistani news media, the violence swept on last Thursday when a convoy of passenger coaches loaded with Shia Muslims was ambushed in the Parachinar area, resulting in a heavy casualty. The attack created a spate of violence between Shia and Sunni communities, with many retaliatory assaults raising the death toll.
Following the attack on the Shia convoy, the community attacked the Sunni areas on the eve of Friday—November 22, destroying homes and shops.
The First Post, in their explanatory article, claims that people in Kurram believe that the November 21 attack on convoy was revenge for an earlier October attack, which killed at least 15 people. The article further reveals that, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, at least 79 people were killed between July and October in sectarian violence.
Meanwhile, on November 24, Pakistani officials announced a seven-day truce between the Shia and the Sunni communities. Muhammad Ali Saif, the KP Information Minister and provincial government spokesman, said that the ceasefire was agreed upon for a week between the tribes and efforts were made to resolve all the issues.
“The government team is working closely with local leaders to facilitate dialogue. The parties have also reached a complete agreement to return each other’s captives,” he said.
As reported by the BBC, families have been forced to flee from their houses. “We’ve been hearing gunfire all night. I sent the women and children of my family to hide in the mountains,” a resident said, and the BBC reported
But What’s the History of Shia-Sunni Enmity in Kurram?
Kurram, the northwest district of Pakistan, which is enveloped with snow-capped mountains, groves, and orchards, has time and again been in the spotlight for the sectarian clashes. As reported by Indian Express, the unique demographic profile is one of the main ingredients of the violence. Pakistan is a Sunni-dominated country, but around 45% of Kurram’s population belongs to the Shia community, which, as reported by the First Post, is three times more than the 10-15% share in Pakistan.
These Shias are settled in the Upper Kurram, which gives better literacy and economic indicators when compared to Sunni-dominated Lower and Central Kurram, the Indian Express reports.This is not the end; the history of the clashes goes back to the British colonial rule era; the policies of the era of patronage and resource allocation reinforced the inter-tribal rivalries between the two. However, these tensions continued long after the British left, especially when tribes fought over land and resources.
The Pakistani government appointed a land commission to resolve the land disputes, but some experts claim that the Pakistani government’s handling of the issue has been inconsistent.
As reported by Jagran (English), from 2007 to 2011, Kurram, a region in Pakistan, saw a lot of violence. Over 2,000 people were killed, and many others were forced to leave their homes. The situation was made worse by weak governance, as the area was still ruled by old British laws until 2018, when it became part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These outdated laws made it harder to solve the conflicts and bring peace to the region.
In addition to this, as reported by the LallanTop, Kurram’s location along the Afghanistan border makes the region even more vulnerable to external influences, which adds to the violence. The area is a hotspot for terrorist activity and tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Armed groups often take advantage of local conflicts, making the situation even more unstable and dangerous.
