Shia-Sunni sectarian conflict in northwestern Pakistan has left 13 more dead in the past two days. Today, Saturday (November 30), AFP reported this information with reference to a government official in the local Khurram district.
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country, but the Khurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has a large Shia population. The two communities have been in conflict for decades. The death toll in the region has reached 124 so far in recent clashes.
Last Thursday (November 21), two separate convoys of Shia Muslims under police guard were attacked. At least more than 40 people were killed. Since then the entire conflict once again spread in the district.
In an interview given to AFP, a government official in Khurram district said that two Sunnis and 11 Shias were among the dead. The official, who did not wish to be named, also said, 'More than 50 people have been injured in the recent clashes. Clashes continued till Saturday morning.
He said, 'There is great mistrust between the Shia-Sunni parties. No one trusts anyone. None of them is ready to obey the orders given by the government to stop hostilities.'
He further said, 'Police said that many people want to flee the area due to violence. But even that is not possible due to the growing security crisis.'
A security official in Peshawar confirmed the death toll in the latest clashes at 124. He told AFP that there were fears of more casualties.
He said, 'None of the steps taken by the provincial government to restore peace have been fully effective.'
The provincial government announced a seven-day ceasefire late last week, but it did not come into force. A 10-day ceasefire agreement was reached again on Wednesday (November 27), but that too failed to end the conflict.
