In Pakistan, a new truce between Shiites and Sunnis after violence which left 111 dead in a week

A new truce came into force on Wednesday, November 27, in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bordering Afghanistan, where clashes between Shiite and Sunni tribes left 111 dead in one week, according to two members of the local authorities.

Violence broke out on Thursday when around ten armed men opened fire on two convoys of Shiite families under police escort, in the district of Kourram. In retaliation, Shiites burned hundreds of stores and houses on Friday and Saturday, and clashes, sometimes with heavy weapons, have continued since.

Among the killed are “79 Shiites and 32 Sunnis”a member of the local administration who requested anonymity told Agence France-Presse (AFP), who reported 88 injured. Another member of the provincial authorities confirmed these figures to AFP.

« Bain de sang »

Sunnis and Shiites have clashed regularly, particularly over land issues, since July in the region, where the death toll now stands at 190, according to consistent sources cited by AFP. Several truces decreed by tribal councils called “jirgas” had already been declared. A new truce, announced Sunday evening, had been broken and intermittent shooting was reported in several villages until Wednesday.

In the evening, the office of the head of the provincial government announced in a press release that a new “ten-day ceasefire” was “entered into force”. “Negotiations will continue to ensure lasting peace, troops will be deployed in strategic locations and compensation paid” to the families of the victims and those whose houses or businesses were burned, he added.

Since Saturday, new jirgas had been convened and provincial officials had been dispatched by helicopter from Peshawar, the provincial capital, to try to put an end to what thousands of Shiite demonstrators gathered across the country denounced as a « bain de sang ».

Local authorities say they are incapable of dealing with such situations, due to a lack of police or administrative personnel, while both the federal and provincial governments struggle to impose their authority, undermined by tribal codes of honor.