Protests over the Kurram massacre turn violent

PESHAWAR:

Following the massacre of at least 43 of their compatriots, which shook the tribal district to its core, the people of Kurram staged protests across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to condemn the brutal attack and demand justice. However, the demonstrations did not end without violence.

In Kohat, demonstrators stoned passenger cars and ambulances and set fire to a pickup truck, leaving the driver seriously injured. Traffic between Kohat and Hangu was disrupted, resulting in long queues of vehicles. To control the situation, the police were sent to the spot.

Protesters prayed for the victims, demanded the government restore law and order and sharply criticized its failure to maintain peace.

Meanwhile, the bodies of the deceased were taken to the ancestral graveyard after funeral prayers in Parachinar.

The atmosphere of the region was filled with sadness, and emotional scenes could be seen during the funerals. Following the attack, Parachinar witnessed complete closure of markets and educational institutions as locals protested by burning tires and blocking roads.

Some angry protesters set fire to two police checkpoints. Older residents appealed for calm.

Protests were held in Bannu under the patronage of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, condemning the Parachinar massacre.

The protesters gathered at Imam Bargah Hussainia chanted slogans against the administration’s failure to ensure security. MWM leaders criticized the authorities, stating that lives and property were no longer safe and religious tensions were intensifying. Protesters demanded peace and rejected violence.

There was a large turnout in front of the Peshawar Press Club, with participants condemning the government.

The demonstration was led by eminent personalities including Allama Syed Jamil Hussain, Allama Zakiul Hassan, Allama Ehsanullah Mousavi and Irshad Bangash.

Protesters condemned the Parachinar atrocities, demanding that the Supreme Court take suo motu notice, conduct a judicial inquiry and issue a white paper against those responsible.

The demonstrators called for the immediate resignation of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, citing incompetence.

They criticized the provincial government, led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for 11 years, for failing to provide security to the people.

Protesters highlighted the dire situation in Parachinar, including severe shortages of food, medicine, fuel and oxygen, calling on the government to immediately open the border with Afghanistan.

The key demands included the opening of Parachinar airport due to unsafe roads and the launch of a free shuttle service between Parachinar and Peshawar through PIA or air force aircraft. For security reasons, they also demanded that federal forces be replaced by the local Kurram militia.

Protesters highlighted growing insecurity among both Shiite and Sunni residents, warning that if their complaints were ignored, they could turn to international human rights organizations or the United Nations for help. As part of the protest, a Press Club rally was also organized in front of the Governor’s House.

The volatile region of Kurram district has witnessed several bloody incidents in recent times, but none has equaled the horror of the Parachinar massacre, when gunmen opened fire on a convoy on Thursday, killing at least 43 people and injuring dozens of others. .

Among the innocent souls whose lives were cut short by the hail of bullets were a nine-year-old girl and seven women. Reports suggest that the attackers fired at passenger vehicles traveling in a convoy from Parachinar to Peshawar in the Lower Kurram region at Mandori, Dad Kamar and Char Khel.

Police and hospital sources confirmed that passenger vehicles were attacked in Lower Kurram areas. Bengush, chief of the Turi Bangash tribes, said dozens of passengers were still stranded in the area. He called on forces to take immediate action to evacuate them safely.

The injured were transported to various hospitals. Twelve of the injured, including two women, were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dera Ismail Khan and 16 others to Alizai Tehsil Hospital.