by Admin
Nov 24, 2024
Violence erupted in Pakistan when unknown gunmen laid an ambush on Shiite Muslim convoys traveling under the protection of the Pakistani police on Thursday and 43 people were killed in the process, this incident made the Shiite Muslims accuse the Sunni Muslim Pakistanis of the slaughter and descend on their community which led to a three-days brutal conflict.
Pakistan is a Muslim country with a majority of the Sunni sect. Still, it also hates the Shiite Muslims who majorly reside in Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province — near the border with Afghanistan.
A local administrator who chose to be anonymous said, “The clashes and convoy attacks on November 21, 22, and 23 have resulted in 82 fatalities and 156 injuries”.
He further disclosed that “Among the deceased 16 were Sunni, while 66 belonged to the Shia community… The mobile network across Kurram remains suspended and traffic on the main highway is halted”.
Prodesq gathered that over 300 families, mostly from the Shiite Muslim community, fled their homes and moved to Afghanistan after Sunni Muslims descended on their community with guns and other deadly weapons.
The Pakistani Police have regularly struggled to control the violence in Kurram, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018.
Aftab Alam Afrid, a Pakistan provincial lawyer disclosed that “Our priority today is to broker a ceasefire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues”.
A delegation from the provincial government held talks with the Shiite community on Saturday and is set to hold another meeting with the Sunni community on Sunday.
The meeting with the Sunni community was delayed after the helicopter conveying the provincial government delegates came under gunfire in the region with no casualties or injuries recorded.
Both the Shiite and Sunni have always been at loggerheads with each other for decades, last month a total number of 16 people were killed including three women and two children when both sects clashed.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people died between July and October in sectarian clashes.
There have been large protests in Lahore the second-largest city, and Pakistan and also in Karachi the commercial heart of the country against the ongoing violence.
A seven-day cease-fire has been agreed between the two sects after the meeting with the delegation of the provincial government.