Days after peace deal, senior Pak official injured in firing in Kurram

Mehsud was in the area to review arrangements for an aid convoy to take food items to the district after the main Peshawar-Sadda-Thall-Parachinar road's opening after 85 days of closure

The Deputy Commissioner of northwest Pakistan's restive Kurram district was injured when assailants opened fire on his convoy on Saturday, days after a peace agreement was reached between two warring parties in the violence-hit zone.

 

According to officials, the incident took place in the Kojalai Baba village near Bagan when residents opened fire on military vehicles, injuring Javedullah Mehsud, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Kurram district, and three security personnel.

 

Mehsud was in the area to review arrangements for an aid convoy expected to take food items to Kurram, ending the over 85 days of blockade of the main Peshawar-Sadda-Thall-Parachinar road.

 

He was shot thrice and was first rushed to a hospital in the Lower Alizai tehsil for treatment. He was later shifted to Peshawar in a helicopter. Three protestors were also injured in the cross-firing, official sources said.

 

The firing took place during negotiations between the government officials and protestors, who had blocked the main road, sources said.

 

We suspect that local spoilers are involved in the attack, said a military official.

 

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said: "The attack is a heinous conspiracy by unidentified miscreants," and added that the situation in Kurram was "under control."

 

Saif said the aid convoy was temporarily halted following the firing. He stressed that clearance operations were underway, and the convoy would resume its journey soon.

 

He appealed to the Sunni and Shia communities to remain peaceful and not fall prey to conspiracies.

 

The Alizai and Bagan tribes on Wednesday reached a peace agreement after sectarian clashes resulted in the killing of 133 people in the district between November 21 and December 2.

 

The clashes erupted as an aftermath of a lethal attack on passenger vans that killed 57 people near Parachinar.

 

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and provincial Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack on the DC's convoy.

 

Gandapur sought a report on the incident from senior officials and wished those injured a speedy recovery. "Such an incident after the Kurram peace agreement is highly regrettable and condemnable," he said.

 

"The incident is a deliberate and malicious but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to sabotage the government's efforts for peace in Kurram," he said, adding that those involved in the firing will face strict legal action.

 

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Kundi said, "The recurrence of firing incidents on the main highway in Lower Kurram is deeply concerning and added that it was a "heinous conspiracy" to sabotage the peace efforts made by the Peace Jirga (council) for lasting harmony in the district.

 

"For sustainable peace in Kurram District, the positive role of the local population alongside the government is essential," he said.

 

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the incident, terming it a conspiracy to sabotage the peace agreement, according to a statement on X by the Interior Ministry.