The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Sunday said action against “a few miscreants” in the affected areas of violence-hit Kurram district was now “inevitable”.
After an attack on a convoy in the Bagan area of Lower Kurram killed more than 40 people in November last year, clashes resulting from decades of land disputes have claimed at least 130 more lives.
The volatile security situation led to the closure of a main road for weeks, leading to a shortage of essential goods and medicines in Parachinar in the Upper Kurram. While a ceasefire agreement between warring tribes was signed on January 1, attacks on a government convoy and an aid convoy this month jeopardized the peace.
In response, authorities have planned to launch a limited “anti-terror operation” in the Lower Kurram tehsil, ordering the establishment of Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDP) camps, as more than 1,000 families would be displaced.
In today’s meeting, held by government and security officials to review the security situation in Kurram, it was decided to take “indiscriminate action against miscreants”.
“It has become inevitable to take action against a few miscreants in the affected areas,” KP government spokesperson lawyer Mohammad Ali Saif said in a statement.
The meeting was attended by Saif, KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry and KP Police Chief Akhtar Hayat Khan, among other officials.
During the meeting it was also decided that the peace agreement would be implemented “according to Pashtun law and traditions.”
While the statement did not use the term “military operation,” it said: “Security forces would be present to support the police and civil administration in their actions against miscreants.
“The government fears that some criminals have infiltrated peaceful people,” he added, noting that these elements had “tried to sabotage the peace agreement.”
In an apparent reference to the setting up of TDP camps, the statement said action would be taken after “separating peaceful people from miscreants to save them from loss”.
He stated that the “best alternative arrangements” had been made to relocate those who would be displaced in the affected areas. According to an earlier government order, more than 1,000 families would be relocated from various areas in Lower Kurram to four sites in Thall.
The government also asked for help from “both sides to help law enforcement agencies identify miscreants present among them.” Reaffirming that the state supported the peaceful elements, the government promised that the “oppressors” would be brought to justice.
The statement highlighted that the KP government had been trying to restore peace in Kurram for the past three months, adding that the ceasefire deal was agreed upon according to Pashtun traditions.
He recalled the attacks on convoys this month and noted that “the criminals targeted security force personnel and aid convoys.”
“Citizens are requested to fully cooperate with security forces in the affected areas. The government will soon eliminate the miscreants and restore peace in the affected areas,” the statement said.
Upper Kurram Jirga members call for action against militants
On the other hand, several members of a Kurram jirga, in a letter written to top political leaders and the army chief, called for action to be taken against militants preventing the implementation of a truce agreement.
The jirga letter, dated January 18 (Saturday) and signed by seven members, was addressed to 14 people, including Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Copies were also sent to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, KP Law Minister Aftab Alam, Provincial Chief Secretary Kurram DC Ashfaq Khan and Kohat Commissioner.
Commander of Peshawar-based Kurram were the other recipients.
The letter was signed by former MNA jirga representatives Pir Haider Ali Shah, Haji Noorjaf, Laiq Orakzai, Wasi Syed Mian, Izzat Gul, Haji Faizullah and Syed Hussain Ali Shah Alhussaini.
Members noted that they had been involved in several jirga negotiations over the past 14 or 15 years, but “things have escalated between the parties in recent months.”
Recalling that a 14-point ceasefire agreement was signed in January, they noted that former NMAs Sajid Hussain Turi, Jawad Hussain and Fakhar Zaman Bangash; MP Hameed Hussain; MPAs Ali Hadi Irfani and Riaz Shaheen; and former senator Mian Sajjad Syed were among those who participated in the jirga talks.
“State institutions have totally failed in Kurram district,” the letter said, adding that the jirga members were of the view that neither their suggestions were being followed nor the written agreement of 2024 was being implemented.
He demanded that a judge-led joint investigation team (JIT) be formed “so that terrorists are strictly punished, those who support them can be exposed, the Thall-Parachinar main road can be made safe for traffic of all kinds, and all “Every possible measure is taken to satisfy the people.”
He said the JIT was necessary “to compensate for the loss of life and property in repeated terrorist attacks on convoys, stop these terrorist activities and eliminate elements that openly support terrorists.”
Highlighting the weeks-long road blockade, the letter said that several elderly people and children had died due to the resulting shortage of medicines, and that the visas of people visiting there from abroad had also expired.
Detailing the recent attacks on convoys, he claimed that the local police station officer was shot at in Khar Kali, while PTCL workers were also attacked in Bagan.
In Thursday’s attack on a convoy in the Bagan area, two security officers were killed and five others were injured. The retaliation by the security forces left six attackers dead and 10 injured.
Although police recovered the bodies of four drivers with their hands tied, five were still missing. Sources said that of 35 trucks in the convoy, only two managed to return to Thall, while more than 10 trucks were looted and set on fire.
However, in the letter, jirga members said that “between four and eight” drivers were killed while “some” drivers were still missing. “Distributors [of the supplies] suffered a loss of Rs 2 billion,” he further stated.
The jirga members claimed that during a meeting on January 13 they were assured that 1,400 personnel (including members of the police, Frontier Corps and army) would be deployed from Chapri to Sadda in Lower Kurram.
Aid convoy with 22 trucks leaves for Hangu: PDMA
The KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said a relief convoy comprising 22 trucks had left for Hangu district where essential items would be distributed to those displaced from their homes in Kurram district.
According to a PDMA press release, the aid includes 500 family-sized tents, 1,000 foams, 1,000 blankets, 500 kitchen utensils, 500 hygiene kits, 1,000 plastic mats, 500 solar lamps and 500 search lights, in addition of other essential items.
The statement said the trucks would arrive at the Hangu deputy commissioner (DC) office in the afternoon.
Haji Naik Mohammad Dawood, relief assistant to the KP CM, said in a statement that aid was being provided to those affected in Kurram “in ample quantities according to their needs”, noting that 1,000 tents had also been sent earlier. and other items to Kurram. .
Dawood further said that all PDMA staff were on red alert and an emergency cell was functioning round the clock.
