Clashes in Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have entered their eighth day, with violence continuing in areas such as Sangina, Sadda, Balshkhel, Kharkalay, Maqbal, Bagan, and Alizai. The ongoing unrest has claimed 107 lives and left 147 injured, with five more deaths and nine injuries reported on Thursday alone. The violence has led to the closure of the Peshawar-Parachinar highway, disrupting all traffic, and suspending trade and transportation with Afghanistan through the Kharlachi border. Educational institutions across the district have been closed for a week, and shortages of food, oil, and medicines have become acute in the affected areas.
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Parachinar Hospital has been overwhelmed, receiving 50 bodies and nearly 100 injured individuals over the past week, according to Medical Superintendent Dr. Mir Hussain Jan. The hospital is struggling with a shortage of oxygen and essential medicines. In an effort to mediate the situation, a Grand Peace Jirga from Kohat Division is on its way to Kurram, aiming to facilitate talks between the warring parties.
A ceasefire between the conflicting sides has been extended for an additional three days, making it a total of 10 days. In a high-level meeting held in Mansehra, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, along with senior officials, reviewed the situation in Kurram. It was reported that efforts for a peaceful resolution are ongoing, and law enforcement agencies will be deployed to maintain order. The Chief Minister welcomed the ceasefire and instructed that surveys of the financial losses in the area be completed urgently to ensure compensation for the victims. The restoration of peace remains the government’s top priority.
