Clashes between rival tribes in Kurram District entered their eighth day on Thursday, with the death toll rising to 107, despite claims of a ceasefire agreement reached the previous day. Police reported that five more individuals were killed and nine others injured in the latest round of fighting.
The violence followed a newly agreed 10-day ceasefire between the feuding tribes, which went into effect on Wednesday, as confirmed by a statement from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s office.
The ongoing conflict has claimed at least 107 lives, with 52 deaths resulting from an attack on a convoy on November 21. In total, 55 people have been killed in the recent clashes, with over 140 others wounded. The district administration has also confirmed that the Parachinar-Peshawar road has been closed for eight days due to the fighting.
Kurram’s Deputy Commissioner, Javedullah Mehsud, stated that the closure of the main highway has disrupted trade with Afghanistan at the Kharlachi border. In addition, the suspension of internet and mobile phone services has exacerbated the difficulties faced by the local population.
Efforts are being made to enforce the ceasefire, with a jirga (tribal council) of elders from Hangu, Orakzai, and Kohat heading to Parachinar for talks. The parties involved in the conflict have reportedly agreed to the ceasefire, with ongoing efforts to ensure full implementation.
The violence began last Thursday when two separate convoys under police escort were ambushed. Authorities have struggled to control the situation in Kurram, which was part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) until its merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018.
Last month, a similar clash resulted in the deaths of 16 people, including three women and two children. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 79 people were killed between July and October due to the tribal conflict. While a seven-day truce was brokered last weekend by provincial officials, it was not upheld.
A high-level government delegation, led by Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif and including KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, IGP Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, and Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi, had previously met with tribal elders to negotiate a ceasefire, but the agreement failed to take hold.
