Death toll from Kurram tribal clashes climbs to 11

KABUL (Pajhwok): Armed clashes between two tribes over a piece of land in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram tribal district claimed two more lives on Tuesday, taking the death toll to 11.

The clashes started five days ago in the Boshehra Dandar area and spread to other areas including Khar Kallay, Baleshkhel, Pewar, Gidu, Teri Mengal, Karman Para Chamkani, Maqbal and Kunj Alizai.

People in the affected areas are facing a persistent shortage of food items, medicine and fuel due to the blockade of roads. Educational institutions have been closed and normal life has also been hit.

A day earlier, protests were held in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and other areas of the country against the tense situation in Kurram.

On Tuesday, clashes were reported in Pewar, Gidu, Baleshkhel, Khar Kallay, Sadda, Chamkani and Kunj Alizai.

Kurram District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Medical Superintendent Dr Qaiser Abbas Banghash confirmed the updated death toll, adding that 67 people had been injured in the clashes so far.

Meanwhile, Kurram Deputy Commissioner Syed Saiful Islam Shah stated that efforts were being made in cooperation with tribal elders to halt the clashes.

He said that ceasefire agreements had been made in place in various parts of the district but lamented that they were being violated.

Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sajid Hussain Turi said that he was personally taking part in negotiations aimed at achieving a ceasefire.

Earlier today, Awami National Party (ANP) leaders held a sit-in outside the Parachinar Press Club and warned of country-wide protests  if action was not taken immediately to stop the clashes.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the deadly clashes. It said there were “alarming reports of rising militancy feeding into local conflicts”.

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