Kurram District: HRCP for urgent action to resolve escalating crisis

ISLAMABAD: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called on authorities to take urgent action to resolve the escalating crisis in Kurram District, where protracted tribal and sectarian violence has plunged the region into a humanitarian emergency.

Addressing at a news conference at the Islamabad’s National Press Club, HRCP leaders, including Secretary-General Harris Khalique, vice chairperson Munizae Jahangir and former Senator Farhatullah Babar, stressed the need to establish a truth and reconciliation commission to address the root causes of the conflict.

Describing the situation as “volatile,” the HRCP highlighted the severe impact of ongoing clashes, which have isolated Kurram from the rest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, blocking access to essential resources such as food, fuel, and medicine. Prolonged road blockades and disruptions have forced schools, offices, and other institutions to close intermittently, leaving residents without vital services. Recent months have seen continued violence despite multiple ceasefires and Jirgas, with estimates indicating that at least 81 people, including women and children, have lost their lives since July.

The HRCP also expressed concern over reports of armed fighters with access to heavy weaponry participating in the violence, underscoring the state’s failure to control the flow of arms into the region.

The HRCP representatives stressed that the trauma endured by Kurram’s residents should not be allowed to become “the new normal” and warned that the crisis had reached a critical point.

Urging both federal and provincial governments to take immediate steps, the HRCP emphasised the state’s responsibility to protect citizens’ rights to life and security. They called for accountability, thorough investigations into alleged armed involvement, and inclusive negotiations to bring about sustainable peace. The HRCP also noted that local peace marches by residents are a clear sign of their desperation for an end to the violence, and the state must not ignore this plea for a secure and stable future. The HRCP also announced to send fact-finding commission to assess situation on ground in Kurram District.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024