PESHAWAR: The government in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday formed a ‘supervisory committee’ to implement measures aimed at restoring peace in the region’s Kurram district, which has been marred by deadly sectarian clashes since last month.
Sectarian feuding in Kurram has claimed at least 133 lives, with over 177 injured in sporadic clashes since Nov. 21. A grand jirga was formed last week to broker a truce after two previous deals to stymie the fighting failed. Last Friday, warring sides in Kurram agreed to an indefinite ceasefire.
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country, but Kurram has a large Shiite population, and the communities have clashed for decades.
The provincial committee has also been formed in the backdrop of a rise in militancy in KP in recent months, with groups like the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, daily targeting security forces’ convoys and check posts, and carrying out targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials.
“The following Provincial Supervisory Committee is hereby constituted by the KP CM,” a notification by the KP Home and Tribal Affairs Department said, adding that the body would implement the provincial cabinet’s measures to ensure “stability and peace of the [Kurram] region.”
The body, which will meet weekly, will be headed by Muhammad Ali Saif, an adviser to the KP chief minister, and will be assisted by members of the civil administration and law enforcement agencies, the notification added, without giving any details of the exact mandate of the committee.
Last week, an All Parties Conference organized by opposition parties in KP had blamed the federal and provincial governments for “failing” to address security challenges as the region faces a rise in militant attacks and weeks of sectarian feuding.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan is the ruling party in KP but did not attend the gathering.
Pakistani northwestern province forms committee to ensure peace in district marred by sectarian clashes
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Pakistani northwestern province forms committee to ensure peace in district marred by sectarian clashes
- KP’s Kurram district is in grips of sectarian feuding with at least 133 people killed and 177 injured since Nov. 21
- Committee also formed in backdrop of rise in militancy in KP in recent months, with daily attacks by TTP group
Qatar, Pakistan resolve to boost strategic, economic cooperation at Doha talks
- Both countries urge dialogue on Afghanistan amid renewed border tensions between Islamabad and Kabul
- Discussions focus on bilateral trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistani premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense ministers to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships.
“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said on X. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
