PESHAWAR: The death toll from ongoing sectarian clashes in northwest Pakistan has risen to at least 37, with more than 150 injured in fighting that has raged for a sixth straight day, a local official told AFP on Friday.
The Kurram district, formerly a semi-autonomous area, has a history of bloody confrontations between tribes belonging to the Sunni and Shiite sects of Islam that have claimed hundreds of lives over the years.
July clashes over land involving the same tribes killed 35 people and ended only after a jirga (tribal council) called a ceasefire, with officials attempting to broker a new truce.
Fighting involving heavy weaponry has continued in 10 areas of the district despite efforts by security forces and locals to reach an agreement, an official posted in Kurram told AFP requesting anonymity.
“What began as a land dispute has escalated into a full-fledged sectarian clash involving the use of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, as well as mortar shells,” he said.
He added that 37 people had been killed and another 153 wounded. Another security official, stationed in the provincial capital Peshawar, added that “28 houses have been damaged.”
Tribal and family feuds are common in Pakistan.
However, they can be particularly protracted and violent in the mountainous northwestern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where communities abide by traditional tribal honor codes.
In Pakistan, a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, the Shiite community has long complained of suffering discrimination and violence.
37 dead in sectarian fighting in northwestern Pakistan
https://arab.news/wtbfg
37 dead in sectarian fighting in northwestern Pakistan
- Fighting involving heavy weaponry has continued for about a week
- Officials say nearly 150 people have been injured, 28 houses damaged
Pakistan-origin British politician resigns from UK Conservative Party over far-right shift
- Sayeeda Warsi, first Muslim cabinet minister, has highlighted her heritage throughout her career
- Her resignation comes at a time when Conservatives are looking for a new leader to replace Sunak
ISLAMABAD: Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Britain’s first Muslim cabinet minister of Pakistan origin, resigned from the Conservative Party’s whip in the House of Lords on Thursday, citing the party’s shift to the far-right in a social media post.
Born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, Warsi’s parents migrated from Pakistan to the United Kingdom, and she frequently highlighted her Pakistani heritage during her political career.
She made history in 2010 by becoming Britain’s first Muslim cabinet minister under Prime Minister David Cameron’s government.
Warsi expressed concerns over her party’s treatment of a pro-Palestinian activist, Marieha Hussain, who was acquitted of racially aggravated charges. The British politician criticized the Conservative leadership for revisiting the issue despite the legal verdict in Hussain’s favor.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have today informed my whip and decided for now to no longer take the @Conservatives whip,” she wrote on X, formally Twitter.
“I am a Conservative and remain so but sadly the current Party are far removed from the Party I joined and served in Cabinet,” she continued. “My decision is a reflection of how far right my Party has moved and the hypocrisy and double standards in its treatment of different communities.”
She called it a “timely reminder of the issues” she raised in her book “Muslims Don’t Matter.”
Warsi’s resignation comes at a time when Conservative leaders are preparing to hold a conference to decide the party’s future, where four top members will make their case to replace Rishi Sunak, the former UK prime minister under whose stewardship the party lost the recent elections.
Weeklong clashes in Pakistan’s northwest leave 39 dead amid ceasefire efforts
- Kurram tribal district has a history of bloody confrontations that have claimed hundreds of lives over the years
- KP’s chief minister has asked police, district administration to take action and help reach a ceasefire in the area
PESHAWAR: The weeklong clashes between two rival tribes over a property dispute in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province have left 39 people dead and 109 wounded, medics said on Friday, as local elders intensified efforts to enforce a ceasefire between the warring factions.
The Kurram district, formerly a semi-autonomous area, has a history of bloody confrontations that have claimed hundreds of lives over the years.
“We have received a total of 70 casualties, with 23 of them dead in the last seven days of clashes,” Dr. Mir Hassan Jan, Medical Superintendent at the District Headquarters Hospital in Upper Kurram, told Arab News.
Separately, District Health Officer for Lower and Central Kurram, Dr. Muhammad Faisal, said that two medical facilities in the area had received 16 bodies from the firefight.
“So far, we have a tally of 62 injured people and 16 others who are dead,” he added.
The clashes erupted last week over a piece of land claimed by both sides in Kurram, which has witnessed deadly tribal conflicts, sectarian violence, and militant attacks in the past.
A major conflict that began in 2007 continued for years before being resolved with the help of a jirga, a council of tribal elders, in 2011. However, another round of clashes broke out over a property dispute in July this year, leaving 38 dead and 158 injured in the same district.
Hameed Hussain, Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from Kurram district, told Arab News that local elders, along with security and district administration officials, had stepped up efforts to ensure a ceasefire without further delay.
“The government’s approach to dealing with the situation or enforcing a ceasefire is slow,” he noted. “But we have expedited efforts and approached its officials, along with rival tribes’ elders, in hopes of negotiating a settlement.”
Earlier, police said the warring tribes were using heavy and small weapons, blocking several routes, including the Parachinar-Peshawar highway.
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has directed the police and district administration to take action and help reach a ceasefire through a jirga.
“For the last year, law and order issues have plagued Kurram, which should be resolved permanently,” Gandapur said in a statement.
“For a durable solution, a committee comprising members of the national and provincial assemblies, local elders, and law enforcement agencies should be formed to bring the warring tribes together and resolve the issue once and for all,” he added.
Pakistan experiencing final spell of monsoon this year – chief meteorologist
- Sardar Sarfaraz says no new monsoon rains are likely to lash the country after October begins
- Torrential monsoon rains have killed 347 people from July 1 until the first week of September
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz said on Friday the country was experiencing the monsoon season’s last spell caused by a combination of the westerly and easterly waves lashing different areas with heavy rainfall.
Earlier this week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned of heavy rains from September 26 to October 1, saying they were likely to trigger floods in Punjab’s urban areas apart from the Peshawar city of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The NDMA also warned the public and local authorities to take precautionary steps to save lives.
“This is the last spell of the monsoon spell,” Sarfaraz said while speaking to Pakistan’s Geo TV. “We can say it’s a combination. The westerly wave has approached from the north and Easterly waves deflected currents from the foot of Himalaya going through the Bay of Bengal.”
He said any kind of rain until September 30 will be counted as monsoon rains, adding that no further downpour would take place after that.
“You know October, November and December are dry months in Pakistan,” he said. “The trend of the next rains in the next three months is below average.”
Torrential monsoon rains from July 1 till about the first week of this month have killed 347 people, including 175 children and 54 women, across the country, as per the NDMA data.
Global organizations, such as the United Nations, see Pakistan as among the countries most vulnerable to extreme weather patterns and climate change, with floods wreaking havoc in 2022, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing millions.
Scientists also attribute the country’s erratic weather changes on climate change effects. This year, the South Asian state recorded its “wettest April since 1961,” with 59.3 millimeters of rainfall, while some areas of the country faced deadly heatwaves in May and June.
IMF official says Pakistan won more financing assurances from China, UAE, Saudi Arabia
- Nathan Porter says the three countries rolled over $12 billion in bilateral loans to help Pakistan
- The IMF official describes Pakistan’s economic turnaround since mid-2023 as ‘really remarkable’
WASHINGTON: Pakistan has received “significant financing assurances” from China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates linked to a new International Monetary Fund program that go beyond a deal to roll over $12 billion in bilateral loans owed to them by Islamabad, an IMF official said on Thursday.
IMF Pakistan Mission Chief Nathan Porter declined to provide details of additional financing amounts committed by the three countries but said they would come on top of the debt rollover.
“I won’t go into the specifics, but UAE, China, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia all provided significant financing assurances joined up in this program,” Porter told reporters on a conference call.
The IMF’s Executive Board on Wednesday approved a new $7 billion, 37-month loan agreement for Pakistan that requires “sound policies and reforms” to strengthen macroeconomic stability. The approval releases an immediate $1 billion disbursement to Islamabad.
The crisis-wracked South Asian country has had 22 previous IMF bailout programs since 1958.
Porter said Pakistan has staged a “really remarkable” economic turnaround since mid-2023, with inflation down dramatically, stable exchange rates and foreign reserves that have more than doubled.
“So what we’ve seen is the benefits of undertaking good policies,” Porter said, adding that the challenge now was to build stronger and sustained growth by keeping monetary, fiscal and exchange rate policy consistent, raising more taxes and improving public spending.
Last year, Pakistan achieved its first primary budget surplus in 20 years, and the program calls for growing that to 2 percent of gross domestic product. Porter said it depends in part on reforms to improve collections from under-taxed sectors such as retailers.
The next review of the loan would likely take place in March or April of 2025, based on end-2024 performance criteria, Porter said.
Over 400 artists from 40 countries participating in World Culture Festival in Karachi
- Festival will continue for about a month and feature artists from Palestine, UAE, Germany and Azerbaijan
- The organizers say it will project Pakistan’s soft image and highlight the ‘peace-loving’ nature of its people
KARACHI: Over 400 artists from 40 countries are set to participate in Pakistan’s first World Culture Festival that started in Karachi on Thursday, with a top official from the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) saying the event will project the country’s soft image and highlight its “peace-loving” nature.
The inaugural ceremony featured international artists from Rwanda, Azerbaijan, South Africa, and Nepal, with a series of performances beginning with Pakistan’s music maestro Farhan Rais Khan on the sitar, a traditional string instrument, alongside his troupe.
The festival will run for a little more than a month until October 30. In addition to Pakistan, artists from the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Palestine, Egypt, Bangladesh, China, Germany and Sri Lanka will also perform throughout the event.
“I believe in the power of culture, art and music,” ACP President Muhammad Ahmed Shah said while addressing the inaugural ceremony. “I want to showcase the talent of my country. More than 300 musicians from Pakistan are a part of this festival.”
Shah said he was proud of Pakistan’s culture and heritage, adding it was important to change the country’s perception on the global level.
“We want to show the world that Pakistanis are the most peace-loving people,” he continued. “Pakistani artists are no less than anyone else across the world.”
The opening ceremony had Pakistani and international artists in attendance, in addition to dignitaries and media personnel. Governor of Sindh Kamran Tessori was present at the occasion as chief guest.
The evening had a performance from Azerbaijan, featuring artists Sahib Pashazade and Kamran Karimov. The presentation reflected the rich cultural heritage of their country.
“We are very excited to be a part of this festival,” Pashazade told Arab News. “We will be performing with the Azerbaijan Tar [a long-necked, plucked lute] which is included in UNESCO’s heritage … We will also be playing the Azerbaijan Mugham [a classical composition from the Central Asian state] which too is part of UNESCO’s heritage.”
“I want to thank the people of Pakistan,” he added. “Their kindness and hospitality inspire us a lot. We are also a Muslim country. Azerbaijan is Pakistan’s brother country. We can relate to the experience, feelings and emotions of the people here. Cultural exchanges are very important in bringing nations together.”
Noor ul Hassan, who is the first Pakistani actor to star in the first season of the Pakistani-Turkish production “Selahaddin Eyyubi,” was also present at the occasion.
“This is the first time [such a festival is] happening in Karachi,” he said while speaking to Arab News. “During the 90s, we used to have Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop. They were the pioneers. I have attended so many of their festivals myself.”
Hassan said he used to work as a freelance theater manager with Rafi Peer during that period. Its events were held annually and brought together a host of foreigners with whom the local would mingle and learn from.
“Then the circumstances changed due to terrorism and lawlessness,” he added. “I am glad this revival is happening … The work that the Arts Council of Pakistan is doing in Karachi should take place in the entire country.”
