ISLAMABAD: A senior administration official was injured in a crossfire between warring tribes in the northwestern Pakistani district of Kurram that has been hit by clashes for more than two months, officials said on Friday.
Kurram, a tribal district of around 600,000 where federal and provincial authorities have traditionally exerted limited control, has frequently witnessed violence between its Sunni and Shiite communities over land and power. Travelers to and from the area often ride in convoys escorted by security officials.
Fresh feuding began on Nov. 21 when gunmen ambushed a convoy and killed 52 people, mostly Shiites. The assault triggered road closures and other measures that have disrupted people’s access to medicine, food, fuel, education and work and created a humanitarian crisis in the area, where authorities say at least 150 people have been killed in the two months of feuding.
The latest incident occurred when Additional Assistant Commissioner Sayed Manan was in the field to ensure ceasefire between warring tribes in Bushara area, according to Kurram police spokesman Riaz Khan. Manan was flown to the provincial capital of Peshawar in a helicopter in critical condition after being initially treated at a hospital in Kurram’s Parachinar.
“The additional assistant commissioner underwent surgery at District Headquarter Hospital Parachinar,” Dr. Mir Hassan Jan, the medical superintendent of the hospital, told Arab News. “He was shot in the stomach.”
The additional assistant commissioner was injured in crossfire between the two villages in Bushara area, according to police spokesman Khan. While the gunfire has stopped, authorities are on high alert.
“The situation is completely tense in the area,” he added.
Feuding tribes have been engaged in battles with machine guns and heavy weapons, isolating the remote, mountainous region. The main road connecting Parachinar, the main town in Kurram, to the provincial capital of Peshawar has been blocked since sectarian fighting began in November.
The violence has continued despite a peace agreement signed between the warring tribes on Jan. 1. Under the peace agreement, both sides had agreed on the demolition of bunkers and the handover of heavy weapons to authorities within two weeks, but there has been little to no progress on the terms.
Shiite Muslims dominate parts of Kurram, although they are a minority in the rest of Pakistan, which is majority Sunni. Provincial and federal authorities have been supplying relief goods and evacuating the injured and ailing from Kurram to Peshawar via helicopters since last month.
Muhammad Ali Saif, a KP government spokesman, said on Friday hatred was the root cause of the Kurram issue and lasting peace in the region was not possible without eliminating it.
“All elements challenging the government’s writ will be punished according to the law,” he said, while speaking to a council of tribal and political elders in Kohat that was formed to resolve the Kurram issue.
“The Kohat [peace] agreement will be equally applicable to both parties.”
Senior official injured in crossfire between warring tribes in restive Pakistani district
https://arab.news/9hrc7
Senior official injured in crossfire between warring tribes in restive Pakistani district
- Additional Assistant Commissioner Sayed Manan was in the field to ensure a ceasefire as rival tribes attacked each other in Kurram’s Bushara area
- The official was shot in the stomach and was airlifted to the provincial capital of Peshawar in critical condition, police and health authorities say
Pakistan PM to attend World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland next month
- The WEF meeting, scheduled to be held in Davos on Jan. 19-23, will focus on global challenges, public-private dialogue and cooperation
- Government, business, civil society and academia leaders will engage in forward-looking discussions to address these issues, set priorities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Switzerland next month to attend the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Pakistani state media reported on Monday.
The WEF annual meeting, themed as ‘A Spirit of Dialogue,’ will be held from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23 in Davos, where world leaders from government, business, civil society and academia will engage in forward-looking discussions to address global issues and set priorities.
Prime Minister Sharif is expected to interact with global leaders and investors on economic challenges, regional and international issues and various opportunities for cooperation.
On Monday, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar presided over a meeting in Islamabad to oversee preparations for Sharif’s upcoming visit to Switzerland to attend the WEF meeting, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Dar instructed to maximize the engagements with the incoming Heads of States, Governments and senior leadership of economic, business and financial institutions,” the report read.
The WEF meeting program will be structured around key global challenges where public-private dialogue and cooperation, involving all stakeholders, is necessary for progress, according to the WEF website.
In addressing these challenges, growth, resilience and innovation will serve as cross-cutting imperatives, guiding how leaders engage with today’s complexity and pursue tomorrow’s opportunities.
Pakistani foreign ministry officials briefed the deputy PM about preparations for the WEF meeting, according to Radio Pakistan. The participants of Monday’s meeting in Islamabad discussed in detail the bilateral component and media engagements during the visit.
“He [Dar] further stressed that opportunities be explored to foster collaboration with private sector business entities,” the state broadcaster said.
