Five more people were killed and 15 injured on Friday as fresh clashes — which first emerged last week — between rival tribes in different areas of Kurram district continued into the eighth day, bringing the total number of casualties to 46 dead and 96 injured, a hospital official said.
Police and hospital sources last week told Dawn that the clashes started after Boshehra tribes of upper Kurram started setting up bunkers on the lands of Ahmadzai tribes, with the dispute quickly engulfing other areas as well.
On Wednesday, sources said that at least 10 people were killed were injured in in Balishkhel, Sadda, Khar Kallay, Peewar, Maqbal and other areas, adding that the main Parachinar Highway and other roads in the area were closed due to traffic.
Kurram District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Medical Superintendent Dr Qaiser Abbas Banghash confirmed the latest death toll to Dawn.com today.
Former federal minister Sajid Toori acknowledged that routine activities was badly affected due to armed clashes, but hoped the situation would normalise soon, calling on people to solve their problems amicably.
Separately, Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen (MWM) parliamentary leader Engineer Hameed Hussain staeged a protest outside the Parachinar Press Club, citing the failure of the institutions responsible for law and order to establish peace.
Serious efforts being made to maintain law and order: KP CM
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur said a day earlier that serious efforts were being made to maintain law and order in the province, especially in the southern districts.
“After the improvement of the law and order situation in southern districts, more checkposts will be handed over to the police. However, before that happens, there is a need for enhancing the capabilities of police,” Gandapur said in a statement issued from the CM’s secretariat on Thursday.
The chief minister said that the current conflict in Kurram tribal district was related to some groups and the provincial government was taking steps to resolve the issue peacefully.
He said the provincial government was working to resolve the problem permanently.
Gandapur said negotiations were underway to address the conflict in Khyber tribal district as well and it was likely to be resolved by Friday.
He said that people in the Mir Ali area would be compensated and the cattle market would be handed over to the residents after reconstruction, adding that the relief department had issued directions in that respect
