Daily Times

After raining blood and gunpowder over the northwestern Kurram district for the last five days, leaving at least 30 dead and 158 wounded, warring tribes have finally agreed to a ceasefire. Those familiar with the bloodied saga know how this so-called property dispute has been going on for more than a decade, which was temporarily resolved by the local jirgas in 2011 to bring long-sought peace in the region. However, the merits of their arguments or who stands as the lawful owner cannot justify bringing life to a standstill in an already volatile region.

Violence, especially sectarian violence, has become a routine feature of life in Parachinar, whose residents spend their days in perpetual fear, worried about which side of the trifecta would be next to brand them as heretics and declare their deaths as the ultimate ticket to heaven. The lack of basic services and infrastructure further exacerbates the suffering of the people who are caught in the crossfire of this senseless violence.

Once known for its picturesque beauty, rugged, steep mountains and lush greenery, the last few decades rendered it an easily accessible laboratory for the whole militancy arsenal. That the prevailing religious rifts between the locals have played a significant part in fanning the flames of anarchy cannot be overlooked, wherein any influential man can easily convince impressionable minds to use readily available weapons (thanks to outfits operating from across the border) and create a war-like situation within moments. Still, the tragedy remains that for five days, shattered lives, sealed-off roads and disrupted routines did not have much impact on authorities or the media.

Other than routine condemnations and stereotypical reporting, there appears little interest in understanding why a small town has become a favourite target of militant outfits and insurgents alike. Why is it that repeated attempts to establish order and weed out extremism have failed to provide much-needed relief to the masses? Hopefully, this time around, the executive would finally realise the need to prioritise tangible progress over grandstanding. Parachinar must not bleed again! *