Bloody incident of terrorism in Kurram: 38 martyrdoms, state negligence exposed

Shiite News: The situation in the tribal district of Kurram of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been volatile for the past few months, horrific incident occurred on Thursday, at least 38 people were martyred in the terrorist attack on a convoy of vehicles going along with the security in Lower Kurram, which is the highest number of martyrdoms in any individual attack this year.

This region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed the deaths of a large number of people from both Sunni and Shia communities in extremism, tribal and sectarian conflicts, which have taken a very dangerous turn. Unfortunately, the state has either turned a blind eye to this issue for a long time or has not made any significant efforts to resolve it.

This year, the land dispute between the two tribes has intensified to a horrific level, in which 80 people have died since July this month. Most of the deceased were traveling by road.

Two weeks ago, the locals of Kurram took to the streets to protest, where they demanded peace and safety on the roads. The state has failed to meet their demands, as the brutal incident made clear.

Unfortunately, both the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments are currently so busy playing politics that they are not paying attention to the situation in Kurram and other parts of the province.

Statements are issued, promises are made, but the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are left at the mercy of bloodthirsty terrorists, who are worsening the situation in the province.

Security agencies have also failed to eliminate militants who are considered a threat to the peace of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Kurram is a sensitive district due to sectarianism and proximity to Afghanistan, while extremist groups and heavy weapons are also present here. Despite this, the state has failed to clear the area of weapons or find a moderate solution to the tribal disputes.

It would be a huge mistake for the state to ignore the violent incidents that have taken place in Kurram. If the instability in Kurram is not controlled, it can spread to the adjoining districts and the hostile elements with vested interests can take advantage of the regional differences to create sectarian chaos throughout Pakistan.

After the recent attack, the first task of the state should be to identify the responsible elements and punish them. Business as usual cannot continue after the recent brutal attack, all state institutions must devise a robust strategy to protect the local people of Kurram and the vulnerable communities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A multi-party conference is scheduled to be held next month to discuss the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The conference should be convened ahead of schedule after the recent militant attack. In addition, state institutions, as well as scholars and tribal elders, should work to improve the situation and ensure that the cycle of reprisals stops.

The state has already delayed its actions for the security of Kurram. Now is the time to provide justice to the victims of violent incidents, track down the terrorists and their facilitators and bring them to justice.