Why sectarian conflicts continue to rage in Pakistan’s Kurram region | Conflict Matters

Islamabad, Pakistan – The main road connecting Pakistan’s Kurram has remained closed for more than four weeks as sectarian tensions fueled by international conflicts continue to rage in the tribal region on the border with Afghanistan.

A beautiful mountainous region in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Kurram has been gripped by tension since late July, when a global conflict between Shia and Sunni tribes led to the deaths of at least 46 people.

Authorities imposed travel restrictions and tightened security after the violence in July but the measures failed to stop the international attacks. In the latest attack, at least 15 people were killed after a convoy was attacked on October 12.

Mehmood Ali Jan, a member of the local peace committee and part of the jirga, a council of tribal elders, said people were only allowed to travel in convoys for the past few months. But following the massacre in October, roads were closed to the public, he said.

Last week, thousands gathered for a “peace march” in Parachinar, the district headquarters, urging the government to tighten security for Kurram’s 800,000 residents, more than 45 percent of whom belong to the Shia minority.

After the march, the administration allowed convoy movement four days a week, according to Javedullah Mehsud, deputy commissioner of Kurram.

“Due to security concerns, we have reduced sailing with Shia and Sunni groups to four days a week, and we hope the situation will improve soon,” he told Al Jazeera.

What happened in Kurram?

Kurram has a long history of sectarian conflict between Shia and Sunni groups. The worst period of sectarian violence in recent years was reported between 2007 and 2011, when more than 2,000 people were killed.

In recent decades, the mountainous region adjacent to Afghanistan’s Khost, Paktia, and Nangarhar provinces has become a hotbed for armed groups, with frequent attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, known by its acronym TTP, and ISIL (ISIS) – both anti-Shia.

After the violence in July, a ceasefire was signed between the tribes on August 2, but the region returned to renewed violence in late September when at least 25 people were killed.

Tensions flared again when a convoy was attacked on October 12, resulting in the death of 15 people and the closure of the Thall-Parachinar road, the Kurram highway.

“I [October 12] The attack took place in a predominantly Shia area, where Sunni Muslims were targeted. In response, two retaliatory attacks by Shia ships took place within a week, but we have been able to temporarily stop it since October 20,” Ali Jan, a member of the local peace committee, told Al Jazeera.

He added that although sporadic gunfire still threatens tourists, no other deaths have been reported.

Why can’t the state control violence?

Mehsud, a government official, admitted that the situation was still volatile, but expressed confidence that peace would eventually return.

“The tribal leaders of both communities are cooperating with us a lot, and we are making joint efforts to ensure public safety,” he told Al Jazeera.

Mehsud added that “certain things” aim to keep tensions high but assured that the government is mobilizing resources to maintain peace.

“We have security and convoys and we want the Shia and the Sunnis to come together. In addition, we have ensured that the supply of medicines, food and other needs in the region continues without being temporarily suspended,” he said.

However, Mohsin Dawar, a former member of parliament for North Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and head of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), questioned the government’s commitment.

“I doubt if the authorities are really willing to solve this issue,” Dawar told Al Jazeera, adding that the regime’s lax attitude is allowing secular conflict to replace sectarianism, encouraging a cycle of revenge.

“Killing each other begets killing which leads to nations seeking revenge, and the violence continues. It seems to be the government’s goal to keep the whole place in chaos,” he said.

Can violence be contained?

Local authorities say markets in the region have started to open and daily life is slowly resuming, however.

However, residents say the region remains tense, with daily activities disrupted by road closures and a three-month internet blackout.

Munir Bangash, a representative of the Sunni jirga, said that despite the government’s efforts to maintain peace, “corrupt people” from Shia and Sunni groups continue to fuel violence.

“It is important that the state plays a major role here; otherwise, it would be free for all. Only the state has the power to mediate properly,” he said.

Bangash, who is originally from Parachinar but has lived in Peshawar since the sectarian clashes in 2007, said reconciliation will remain a challenge until Sunni Muslims, who were driven out by previous groups of violence, can return. About 2,000-3,000 Sunni people were displaced from Parachinar and nearby areas. Only a few have returned over the years.

“There is a real military threat affecting both communities, but the main issue is the global conflict, which needs to be resolved immediately,” he said.

Jamil Kazmi, a retired academic based in Kurram, is skeptical of a return to peace, saying the ongoing violence is due to failures between tribal elders and authorities and mistrust among stakeholders.

“Are the authorities, including the military, and Sunni and Shia religious leaders willing to take ownership of the sectarian problem,” Kazmi, 78, asked.

The situation in Kurram is like a “pressure cooker waiting to explode”, he warned.

“For the past few days there has been calm. But Parachinar feels like a tomb; it is incredibly quiet, and I am afraid that this tension may explode at any moment.”