The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in northwest Pakistan, announced on the afternoon of Sunday, November 24, a week-long truce after three days of clashes between Sunnis and Shiites that left 82 dead, including its spokesman, Muhammad. Ali Saif.
“Both sides agreed to a seven-day ceasefire during which they will also exchange prisoners and return bodies.”is specified. For his part, a local official informed Agence France-Presse. “It is reported that between 15 and 20 people from both sides are missing”.
“Among the dead, 66 are Shiites and 16 Sunnis”This official from the Kurram district, scene of months of sectarian violence in the province, stated on condition of anonymity. Local officials told AFP “Fire from light and heavy weapons in different areas”. However, they specify that no deaths or injuries have been reported since Saturday night.
Hundreds of shops and houses burned
On Thursday, a dozen attackers opened fire when they saw two convoys carrying Shiite families under police escort. In retaliation, on Friday and Saturday, Shiites carried out raids on Sunni neighborhoods, including burning hundreds of shops and houses, residents and authorities told AFP. Since then, the mobile phone network has been cut off in Kurram, as has traffic on the district’s main highway.
Since July, the conflict between Sunnis and Shiites in the mountains bordering Afghanistan has left more than 160 dead, according to consistent sources. Invariably, after a few weeks of calm, conflicts between tribes of different tendencies have resumed, relating in particular to the question of land, despite the truces decreed by the tribal councils, the jirgas.
In this district, a former tribal area where honor codes are strong, security forces struggle to enforce the law, while the federal government and even the provincial government, based in Peshawar, struggle to gain a foothold there.
Once again, senior officials were dispatched from the provincial capital further east on Saturday. As their helicopter descended on Parachinar, the district’s main town and a Shiite stronghold, shots were fired from the ground, a police source told AFP, stating that they had caused no casualties or damage.
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“This delegation held detailed talks with the Shia community on Saturday and will meet with the Sunnis”mostly in Pakistan, the local administration announced on Sunday. “Our priority is to achieve a ceasefire on the part of both parties”said the provincial Ministry of Justice. “When we have it, we can talk about the other problems”he added, while Shiites have long claimed to be discriminated against in Pakistan and, across the country, Pakistanis accuse the police of failing to protect them.
